My Little Secret
by niknak995
Summary: Edward and Bella were high school sweethearts and thought they were going to spend the rest of their lives together until they were unwillingly ripped away from each other. After her parents' death, Bella returns to Forks with a secret, seven years after she left. Will the two long lost lovers reconcile and learn to love again or will Bella's secret get in the way? ExB Rated M.
1. Welcome Home

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

**Hey, everyone! So, this is my new story. **

**I'm SO excited about this one! I've got some great ideas. It will be minimal drama/angst and mostly fluffy-cuteness.  
**

**I hope you like it! See you at the bottom.  
**

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**Chapter 1 – Welcome Home**

**BPOV**

I drove my brand new Toyota Corolla through the tiny town center of my hometown. My hands shook on the steering wheel at even the thought of being here again. But I was here to start over . . . and to change someone's life, something I'm not looking forward to.

I left so much of myself behind here when I was forced away from –

I was pulled abruptly out of my thoughts as I slammed on the breaks when I reached the stoplight. I took a steadying breath and pulled onto a side street before pulling in the driveway of my new home.

Forks, my hometown. Small town capital of the United States. I left it all behind seven years ago.

Growing up in Forks was what you would think and expect from a town as small as ours, everybody knew everybody and everything about everyone. The most exciting thing to happen was the Homecoming football game every fall.

That is, until the Cullens moved to town.

Carlisle Cullen, a surgeon, his wife Esme Cullen, an interior designer, and their three children moved to Forks the summer before my freshman year of high school. Because my dad Charlie was the Chief of police, he, my mom Renee, decided it was a good idea to go over and introduce themselves to the newest residents of our little town. I was dragged along unwillingly.

When they rang the doorbell, a petite raven haired girl answered the door. She looked at all of us before beaming at me and pulling me into a bone crushing hug. That's how Alice Cullen and I became best friends.

The Cullens became my second family. Esme was more nurturing and supportive than my own mother who focused more on her own hobbies and interests than her own daughter. Carlisle could show more emotion than my father could. Alice was the sister and best friend I needed. Emmett was the big brother I never had and longed for. And Edward . . .

My heart clenched and tears sprung to my eyes every time I thought of Edward. And I'm reminded of him every day.

Edward Cullen was – _is_ – the love of my life. We started dating right before the beginning of our junior year of high school. He was my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my _first_ . . . I fell completely in love with him. With him I could just _be_. Be _Bella_. I didn't have to put on my happy face for him like mother always told me to do when we were in company. We knew each other inside and out. We wanted to be together for the rest of our lives.

I felt a tear fall down my cheek and I quickly brushed it away as I got out of the car and looked up at my new house.

It was everything you could expect from Forks. Two stories, modest size, one car garage, decorative shutters on every window, shiny brass numbers, plush green lawn, white picket fence . . .

And I left it all behind because of . . .

"Mommy!"

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**A/N: Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Just okay? Hate it so much and think I shouldn't continue?**

**What do you think Bella's secret is? Anything you absolutely DO NOT want to see?  
**

**I've got the first five chapters finished so they should be up sometime in the next weeks.**

**Thanks again!**

**- Nikki  
**


	2. Matthew

**A/N: ************Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

**WOW! I can't believe the response to a tiny little chapter in only a day! Thanks so much everyone!  
**

**I didn't keep you waiting very long because this one may answer some of your questions.  
**

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**Chapter 2 – Matthew **

**BPOV**

"Mommy!"

I whirled around to see a small body running down the front path towards me. I grinned and held my arms out and he jumped right in them. I instantly felt a million times better. If anything could cheer me up, it was my son.

"Matthew," I breathed.

I heard the front door open. "Matt? Where did you – ? Oh!" I looked up to se Angela grinning in the doorway. "Welcome home, Bells!" she called.

I shifted Matt so he was sitting on my hip and waved to Ang. "Did you have fun with Auntie Angela?" I asked the boy in my arms as we started up the path towards the front porch.

He nodded. "We unpacked my room."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. Angela doesn't like to any kind of housework, not even cooking. "And Auntie Angela actually _helped_ you?"

Matt smirked, his spectacular eyes twinkling, reminding me so much of his father. "No, she didn't."

I set him down right inside the doorway, ruffled his crazy unruly hair, and he took off upstairs towards his new bedroom. I found Angela reading a book at the kitchen table, munching on a few pretzels.

"Hey, Ang," I greeted her as I set my purse on the kitchen counter and started pulling out ingredients for dinner. "How was he? Did he behave?"

"Of course," She said without looking up from her book. "You have, like, the best behaved six-year-old ever. He's always been that way."

I met Angela Webber on my first day of classes at NYU over five years ago. I got to class just as the clock struck eleven. Matt was only about five months old and was having trouble taking a bottle that morning. I usually nursed him because it was easier for me and more convenient but I didn't have time that morning. And truth be told, I had trouble saying goodbye. I had never been away from him for a long period of time.

The last seat in class was in the last row at the end. I plopped down and took out my notebook and pen. I looked around the classroom and saw that everyone was looking in my direction. I also noticed they all had laptops open and whirring away. I blushed as I looked down at my desk. Because my family now had another mouth to feed, we didn't have money for anything but the bare essentials. A fact that Mom constantly reminded me.

"Not laptop either?"

I turned to my right to see a girl maybe a year younger than myself with long dark hair and eyes, pale skin, and black thick-rimmed glasses leaning towards me. She gestured to the notebook on her desk.

I shook my head. "Nope,"

She extended her hand. "I'm Angela,"

I shook her hand with a smile. "Bella,"

After class was over we both had a little break before our next class so we went to the coffee shop around the corner. We talked for over an hour. Needless to say we became fast friends. It almost reminded me of the way Alice and I used to be together. I ended up telling her all about Matt and the situation with his father.

Over the years, Angela became my closest friend. When we graduated from college we got an apartment together in New York City. We both had chosen to do a combined bachelors and masters program that usually takes five years to complete but we both finished in four. She started her nursing career at one of the many hospitals while I got a job as a third grade teacher at a small private school. I also waitressed on the weekends to help pay for daycare and anything else Matt might need.

When Charlie and Renee died at the beginning of the year, I felt myself longing for home, longing for Forks, especially after I found the box in the garage.

Angela mentioned – and I agreed – that maybe it was time to face someone I'd lost several years ago.

I called Forks Elementary and they luckily had a position open for a first grade teacher starting in the fall. I registered Matt for the other first grade class while I was on the phone. Angela called Forks Regional Hospital while I was on the phone with the realtor and applied for a nursing position. We moved here a couple days ago because the hospital asked Angela to start next week, mid-July.

"So what's for dinner, Chef?" Angela asked from her seat at our kitchen table.

I shrugged. "Something simple, I think, maybe salads and I could grill some chicken?"

"Sounds perfect,"

It took me about a half an hour to get everything organized and cooked and we finally sat down to dinner around six o'clock.

Once all the dishes were cleaned and put away, Matt ran out to play on his new swing set and Angela and I grabbed two glasses and a bottle of wine and headed to the back patio.

We were talking about how excited Angela was about starting her new job and how anxious I was to face everyone I'd left behind all those years ago.

Angela was just pouring her second glass when we heard a shriek and a loud thump. I was instantly on my feet and running towards the swing set, my heart beating out of my chest, with Angela not too far behind. Matt was face down on the woodchips under the swing set. He let out a strangled cry and rolled over onto his back.

I dropped to my knees next to him and pulled him towards me. "Mattie, sweetie? What hurts baby?"

Matt burst into loud, body-jerking sobs and sat up to cling to my shirt. "Mommy!" he cried. "I hit my head on the monkey bars!" He wailed through his sobs.

"It's okay, baby, Mommy's here. It's okay." As he clung to my shirt, it was then that I noticed that there was a long gash on Matt's forehead and blood was gushing down his face. "Angela!" I called. "Get a towel and the car keys!"

Angela dashed back into the house as I lifted Matt into my arms and carried him around the front of the house to the driveway. Matt curled up in my arms like he used to do when he was a toddler and nuzzled my shoulder. His sobs were starting to slow but tears were still falling down his cheeks.

I sat in the back of Angela's car with Matt while she drove us to Forks Regional. I kept the towel she found pressed tightly against Matt's forehead on the drive over.

She parked in the parking lot in front of the Emergency Room and we both ran to the large glass doors. I hurried over to the registration desk of the nearly empty ER waiting room.

"My son fell on the swing set and hit his head. It won't stop bleeding." I said in a fairly frantic voice.

The reception nurse smiled sympathetically, like she knew exactly what I was going through. "It's okay. Mrs…"

"Swan. Bella Swan."

"It's okay, Mrs. Swan. Your son . . ."

"Matt," I supplied for her.

"Matt is going to be just fine." She finished with the same sympathetic smile.

Matt reached up and wiped at his cheeks, looking to brush away tears but all he found was blood. "Mommy?" His voice waivered as he looked at the blood on his fingertips.

I hugged him closer and started bouncing him like I used to do when he was a baby. "It's okay, baby, everything will be okay."

"Let's get you to a bed so a doctor can fix you up, big guy." The nurse said sweetly to my son.

Matt nodded. "Okay," he whimpered.

We followed the nurse, who said her name was Pam, through some double doors and down a hall to a large room with about ten beds with the curtains that run on tracks on the ceiling. Tow curtains were already drawn around beds. Pam led us to the middle bed on the left side, handed us a pen and clipboard with the usual paperwork attached, and drew the curtain around us as she left.

Angela filled out the information on the clipboard while we waited for a doctor to come see us. I consoled Matt as he sat on my lap on the bed until his tears eventually lulled and stopped.

About ten minutes after Pam brought us to the bed, the curtain was thrust open and shut again behind a blond doctor that was on the shorter side for a man.

"Hey, guys, I'm Dr. Cheney and I'll be helping you out today. Now where's the patient?" He looked over at Matt and I on the bed with a huge grin. His brow puckered suddenly before smiling again. "Bella? Bella Swan?"

I looked at his familiar face and searched for a name. Cheney . . . Cheney . . . Ben! "Ben Cheney?"

"It so good to see you!" Ben said in his usual upbeat voice. He leaned over and pulled me into a one-armed hug.

I found myself actually really happy to see Ben. He was one of Edward's good friends in high school and he was always very nice to me.

"It's good to see you too, Ben." I looked over at Angela and almost laughed when I saw her face. I knew that face, she thought Ben was hot. "Ben, this is my best friend Angela Webber. She's a nurse here starting next week. Ang, this is Ben Cheney. We went to high school together."

Angela shook Ben's outstretched hand and smirked. "Nice to meet you, _Doctor_." She purred.

"Uh, yeah, you too." Ben sputtered. He collected himself and turned to face Matt. "And who's this guy?"

I pulled the towel off Matt's face. "This is my son, Matt."

Ben eyes widened. "Son? Wow. Well, hi, Matt. I'm Dr. Cheney. What did you do you your head there?" He pulled on latex gloves and opened a stitching kit that he pulled from his pocket.

"I hit my head on the monkey bars. Mommy says I'm too little for the monkey bars but I didn't listen." Matt croaked.

Ben laughed. "Moms always know best. Always remember that."

"Bells," Angela spoke up. "Why don't you go get some coffee or get some fresh air? It's been a stressful half hour. I've got things here."

I looked wearily at Matt who nodded. "Go 'head, Mommy. I'll stay with Auntie Angie."

I sighed and nodded before helping Matt sit on the edge of the bed. "Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes. Be good." I warned Matt.

Ben chuckled. "I'll still be here when you get back. We can catch up later."

I smiled at him before leaving the ER and making my way to the cafeteria. I spent a lot of time at Forks General when I was little on account if my clumsy nature so I pretty much knew my way around.

I was waiting in line for the coffee machine when I felt someone walk to stand in line behind me. I felt a familiar tingle in my spine and gasped quietly. I could only guess who was behind me.

It was suddenly my turn at the coffee machine. I turned to face the machine and reached over to gab a cup from the stack on the counter, trying to stay as calm I possibly could when I was shaking in my sneakers.

I heard a deep gasp from next to me and I knew that I'd been found.

"Bella." There was no question. He knew it was me.

I turned to face the man next to me. "Edward."

He looked perfect, as usual. His tall – almost six-foot, two inches, if I remember correctly – and lanky from was clothed in light blue scrubs and a white doctor's coat. His red hair, with hints of brown, was perfectly messy, like he just rolled out of bed. No matter how hard he tried, he could never tame his crazy head of hair. I always loved that about him. It was one of my favorite things about him. His brilliant green eyes, now wide with shock and surprise, sparkled in the light like they always used to. Those eyes were so familiar to me now. His usual lopsided, carefree grin was missing from his face. Instead his mouth was shape in an "o", a mask of surprise.

"What are you doing here?" he asked quickly. "Are you hurt?"

I almost laughed. "No, I've almost grown out of my clumsy ways. I'm here with a . . ." I looked for an appropriate word so as not to reveal too much. "Friend who fell and needed stitches." I looked him up and down again, noticing his attire. _Man, he really fills out those scrubs . . . _"So I see you ended up as a doctor, just like you wanted."

"Yeah, I'm in the middle of my residency." He ran a hand roughly through his hair, a familiar gesture of Edward's nerves. "Well, do you have a minute? Maybe I could buy you a coffee and we could catch up?"

"Yeah, I have a few minutes. That would be nice."

_There_ was that smile.

We both got our coffees and made our way to an empty table after Edward paid the cashier. We sat on opposite sides of the table and each took a long sip of our coffees.

"So," Edward began, setting his cup back on the table. "Why are you back in Forks?"

I sighed and held my cup between my hands, feeling the warmth of the scalding coffee seep through the paper cup. "I missed the only home I've ever known. Charlie and Renee passed away at the beginning of the year."

I heard his quiet intake of breath. "Wow. What happened?"

"Drunk driver." I answered simply, setting the cup back on the table in front of me and leaving my hands to rest on the table. "The police said they didn't suffer."

Edward leaned across the table to cover my hand with his own. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Bella."

I gave him a small smile and squeezed the hand that covered mine. "Thanks, Edward. I moved back here officially a few days ago with my friend Angela. She got a job here as a nurse starting next week."

"I'll be sure to look out for her then." Edward smiled quickly and looked at me questioningly.

There was silence between us for a couple of minutes before I decided enough was enough. "Just ask me what you want to ask me, Edward. I know you too well to know when you're curious."

"Why did you leave, Bells?" he asked so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Ah, there was the question I was waiting for.

I sighed deeply and scrubbed my hand over my face. "_That_ is a long, complicated, and painful story. I have a lot to tell you. Do you think we could get together tomorrow? Maybe somewhere more private? I promise I'll tell you everything then."

Edward nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good. I'm off tomorrow night. We could meet at my house?"

"That sounds great," I checked my watch and decided that I should probably get back to Angela and Matt. "I should probably go. My friend is probably done getting stitches."

Edward and I stood, threw away our empty coffee cups, and started walking towards the ER. We made small talk on the way, basic filling the awkward silence between us. We stopped outside the double doors and looked at each other.

I shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, uh, here's my address." He quickly took out a pen and a scrap of paper and wrote down his address before handing it to me. Before I knew what was happening, he pulled me in to his arms.

I stiffened for a second in surprise before relaxing into the familiar hug. I inhaled the familiar scent of Edward and felt safe, as I always did in Edward's arms.

"It's so good to see you again, Bella." He whispered to me before releasing me, flashing me his lopsided grin, and disappearing around the corner.

I walked shakily back into the ER and quickly found the bed where I left Angela and Matt. When I opened the curtain, I found Ben just finishing Matt's stitches. Angela was sitting beside Matt on the bed, holding his hand.

"Hi, Mommy!" Matt called, waiving with his free hand. "I had to get six stitches! Dr. Cheney said I'll have a cool scar!"

I walked over and sat down on his other side. "Wow, buddy, that's so cool." I kissed his temple as Ben set down the needle, picked up some gauze, and smiled at me.

"All set! Let me just clean your face and you'll be good to go." He said to Matt.

Ben quickly wiped away the dried blood with some gauze and gasped once he got a good look at my son's face, no longer hidden by blood. "Bells, h-he looks j-just like – " He stared at me. "Is he . . .?"

I nodded. "Please don't tell him, Ben. I'm going to tell him tomorrow. I promise."

He sighed and nodded grudgingly. "Okay." He looked from me to Matt. "Is that why you left?"

I nodded again. "Not by my choice."

Ben brought me Matt's discharge papers and I signed them quickly before bringing them to the nurses' station in the ER. After the nurse looked them over, she gave me some last minute care instructions for Matt's wound and let us leave.

I helped Matt down off the bed and took his hand to leave the ER. I called to Angela across the nearly deserted waiting room to where she was talking with Ben. I saw them exchange slips of paper before Angela scampered over to us and we left together.

By the time we got home, Matt was exhausted and was ready for me to put him to bed.

Angela and I changed into our pajamas and met on the couch with two bottles of beer. It was our ritual if one of us had a stressful or exciting day.

"Oh, Ang!" I groaned as I flopped back on the couch. "I saw him! I saw him in the cafeteria."

Angela's face turned serious and she turned to face me on the couch, giving me her undivided attention. "Tell me everything."

I told her about my encounter with Edward in the cafeteria and our subsequent conversation and scheduling to meet tomorrow.

"So you're actually going to tell him." Angela stated with a nod of her head. "Good for you, Bells. I'm proud of you."

"A secret seven years kept from him." I sighed. "He's going to freak out!" I groaned.

Angela snorted. "I think any self-respecting male would freak if they were told that they had – "

"Yeah, I get it!" I rolled my eyes and whacked her with a decorative couch pillow.

She collected our empty beer bottles and stood. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow but please don't spend too much time stewing on the couch over possible outcomes of your chat with Edward tomorrow." She kissed my cheek and headed to the kitchen to throw the bottles away before climbing the stairs to her room.

Despite Angela pleas, I spent over an hour on the couch that night.

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**A/N: ********************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**Whoa! much to discus!  
**

**What do you think her secret is? Why did she leave Forks? How do you think the conversation with Edward will go?  
**

**So many questions! Most will be answered in about two-ish chapters!**

**NEXT UP: A little peak into the mind of Edward and we meet the Cullen family.  
**

**Thanks again!  
**

**- Nikki  
**


	3. The Cullens

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

**So a lot of you are outraged that Bella kept Matthew a secret from the father. I just want to say, in her defense, that you all will get the answers you're looking for soon. She didn't try to keep him a secret. You'll find out how next chapter.  
**

**Now, a peek in the mind of Edward!  
**

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**Chapter 3 – The Cullens**

**EPOV**

As I drove to my parents' house for a late family dinner after my shift at the hospital, I thought about the day I had.

First, early this morning, my twin sister Alice called. I love my sister deeply but she has the tendency to call at the most inconvenient times. Mostly at five AM, like she did this morning.

_RING RING_

_I groaned as I rolled over and grabbed my cell phone from my nightstand. I squinted against the bright screen and groaned again when I saw who was calling. _

"_Alice," I whined. "What the fucking hell could you want at – " I glanced at my alarm clock. "Six AM! Alice, I just got home. I had the night shift."_

"_Sorry, Edward! But I just had to tell you," Alice chirped. "She's home!"_

_I wracked my brain for any past conversations with her about one of her friends coming back to Forks. "Who – who's coming back to Forks?" I asked slowly. _

_Alice giggled. "You'll see!" She sang. "I had a dream. You'll be visited at work today by an old friend."_

"_Old friend?" I was thoroughly confused. I couldn't recall any friends who would be coming to Forks._

_Ever since Alice was little, she's always had the uncanny ability to just _know_ when something good or bad was going to happen. It was either a strong feeling or a dream. They were almost always true. Over the years, my family stopped questioning Alice and always looked to her for guidance. _

_She giggled again. "Just trust me, Ed! It's going to change your life for the better." I heard a rumble of a voice on Alice's end of the line. "I gotta go, big brother. I'll see you tonight at Mom and Dad's. Love you!"_

_I stared at the phone after she hung up, wondering what was in store for me today._

That was over fourteen hours ago.

When I got to the hospital around eight o'clock, I found out it was time for my turn in the rotation in the ER. As a surgical resident, all of us took turns in the different departments. It was a way for us to get hands-on experience of the different specialties so we can ultimately choose which one suits us the most.

The ER was my least favorite. I went into medical school thinking I was going to be a cardiac surgeon like my father. Once I was out of medical school and actually doing my internship and residency, I changed my mind. I've always loved kids. I think it's amazing that they can bring a smile to almost everyone's face. So, I changed my desired specialty to Pediatrics.

It was an unusually crazy day in the ER, several car accidents, accidental gunshot wound to the leg that just missed a major artery, and several other unprecedented injuries.

At around six-thirty Ben came in to relieve me, it was his turn to take the late night shift. Ben and I have been best friends since we met when I moved here our freshman year of high school. We lost touch when we went away for college but reconnected when we ended up at the same medical school, Johns Hopkins. We both finished our bachelors in pre-med at our respective undergrad schools in two years, two years ahead of the rest of our class.

On my way to the locker rooms to change back into my street clothes, I stopped at the cafeteria for a cup of coffee so I could stay awake to drive to my parents' house. I stepped into line behind a short woman with long chestnut hair that flowed down her back in gentle waves. _Looks familiar . . ._

When she stepped up to the machine and turned to grab a cup from the stack to the left of the machine, I gasped sharply.

Cherished memories flashed before my eyes making the hole in my heart that appeared when she left just a little bit bigger.

I knew that face. Bella. _My_ Bella. The love of my life. I thought I would never see her again.

"Bella." I breathed. I couldn't contain myself. I had to talk to her.

She took an audible deep breath before spinning to face me. "Edward."

She looked even more beautiful than I remembered. She'd always been beautiful to me but the years away from Forks have done her well. She's still just as tiny, only a few inches taller than my five foot tall sister. Her long chestnut hair was down, not up in the ponytail she usually wore in high school. I'd always like her hair down. Her big light-brown doe eyes stared up at me while her pinky-red lips, the top one fuller than the bottom, were screwed up in a kind of smirk. She was dressed like I remembered she dressed, jeans and a t-shirt.

I quickly asked her if she was okay, remembering her clumsy nature. She laughed it off saying she was here with a friend, not for herself.

_Who's this friend? _I found myself asking. I hoped that she wasn't married or taken. My already shattered heart would break into a million pieces with no hop of repair.

I offered to buy her coffee and we sat at a small cafeteria table and made small talk. When I finally asked her the question I'd been dying to ask her since I saw her face a few minutes ago, she suddenly looked like she aged five years with the stress on her face.

She scrubbed her hand over her face as she sighed. "_That_ is a long, complicated, and painful story." She replied. "I have a lot to tell you. Do you think we could get together tomorrow? Maybe somewhere more private? I promise I'll tell you everything then."

I walked her back to the ER and gave her my address and promising to meet tomorrow night at my house. Without thinking, I pulled her into my arms and breathed in her familiar scent. It felt so good to have her back in my arms and I was immediately transported back to my high school days, much happier days.

All the way out to my car and on the drive over to my parents, I wondered and worried what she had to tell me that needed privacy.

I parked my two-seater Mercedes in my parents' driveway and just sat, continuing to think about Bella. I must have been sitting longer than I thought because I heard a tapping on my window.

"Eddie, come on! You've been sitting out here for fifteen minutes. Mom is starting to think something's wrong with you. I told her there's always something wrong with you." I looked up to see my older brother Emmett staring down at me with a huge grin on his face.

I opened my door and got out, shooting my brother a glare. "I was thinking. You should try it sometime." I grabbed my phone and wallet from the center console and shut the door behind me before walking towards the front door. "And don't call me Eddie!" I called behind me.

I heard Emmett's loud guffaws behind me and I smirked. Emmett and I loved to tease each other, all in good fun.

When I stepped inside my childhood home, I was immediately bombarded my mother and sister.

"Edward!" They cried and pulled me into a group hug.

"Uh, hi, Mom, Alice." I patted their back until the released their death grip on me.

Mom took my face between my hands and looked me up and down. "You're way too skinny, Edward, and we don't see you here enough. I don't think you living in that big house all alone is such a good idea."

I blinked at her disbelievingly. "Mom, I'm twenty-six!" She frowned but didn't say anything. "And I was here a week ago." I continued. Mom continued to frown so I leaned and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, Mom, I'm doing fine." I whispered to her.

After Alice gave me a knowing look, I kissed her cheek as well and made my way into the living room to where my dad, sister-in-law, and niece were watching TV.

"Hey, Dad," I greeted as I walked farther into the room.

Dad stood to hug me, even though I saw him a few hours ago at the hospital. Dad is the Chief of Medicine at Forks Regional Hospital, basically in charge of all the doctors in the hospital. When I decided I wanted go to medical school, Dad was my number one supporter.

"Edward," Dad released me and sat back down on the couch. "How is everything?" He asked with a smile.

"Fine," I answered with a shrug. "I'm in the ER this rotation. Not my favorite thing in the world."

Dad nodded. "I know, but it necessary."

I nodded in agreement and was about to speak again when I was interrupted.

"Uncle Eddie, you're blocking the TV!"

I looked over to see Rosalie and Lilly sitting on the opposite couch. Rose was smirking and Lilly was pouting. I smiled and ran over, scooping Lilly off the couch, making her giggle.

"Uncle Eddie!" She laughed.

I sat down on the couch next to Rose, placing Lilly in my lap. "How's it going, Lil?" I asked her.

"Good," She nodded emphatically. "Look what me and Mommy made!" She held out her wrist to show me a beaded bracelet. The plastic beads were all different colors, shapes, and sizes, probably exactly what a two year old would want.

"Wow, Lil! That's so pretty!" She laughed before climbing off my lap so she could continue watching TV with her grandfather. I turned to Rose. "Wow, Rose, you're bracelet making skills are off the chart!" I teased.

She rolled her eyes and shoved my shoulder but couldn't hide the smirk on her face.

Rose and Emmett met in their first week of college at the University of Washington. Their dorms were right down the hall from each other, so they shared a common room. One day, Emmett and his roommate were watching a football game on the TV in the common room when a tall, statuesque blonde sat down next to Emmett and commented on how terrible the quarterback was at running plays. Emmett fell in love instantaneously. He brought her home for Christmas a few months later. They got married after they graduated and had Lilly a year later.

Rose's down-to-earth attitude made an impression on Mom and Dad and she impressed Alice with her knowledge of designer clothes. She even hit it off with Bella who was normally shy around new acquaintances.

Bella. My heart ached every time I thought about her.

Mom called dinner and we all made our way into the dining room and took our seats around the feast Mom had made. Once everyone was seated, we begun serving and devouring the delicious meal.

I returned to my thoughts about Bella as I ate.

Bella and I started dating the summer before our junior year of high school. I'd been in love with her ever since I'd laid eyes on her two years before. When our senior year rolled around, when it was time to start applying to colleges, I sat her down and told her under no circumstances were we to go to different colleges. I told her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her so what was the point of being separated at college. It was one of the only times I'd ever seen her cry.

When she left Forks so abruptly and without warning a few weeks before we were supposed to leave for Dartmouth together, my heart broke. That was one of the hardest days of my life.

I'd woken up that morning from a nightmare. Bella had said she didn't want me anymore and she disappeared right before my eyes. I said to myself that it was probably just nerves for what I had planned for today. I was still a little shaken when I drove over to Bella's house that afternoon for our weekly Sunday date. Today I was going to take her to our favorite clearing in the woods and show her just how much she means to me. When I pulled up in front of her house, there were no cars in the driveway, not even Charlie's cruiser. I walked up the front path to the door and paused. There was a note on the front door with my name on it. I pulled it off the door and read it quickly.

_Edward,_

_I'm so sorry. This was not my choice, I promise you. Please know that I love you and I'll think about you every day. I'll never stop loving you, Edward, no matter how far away I am from you._

_Your love,_

_Bella_

I read it again, thinking I had misread it. It sounded like she was . . . gone. No, that couldn't be it.

I started banging on the door and yelling Bella's name. When nobody answered, I found the key Bella hid under a rock in the garden and opened the door.

_Crack_

The first crack in my heart appeared when the kitchen was completely empty.

_Crack_

The living room was bare.

_Crack_

I ran upstairs to find the bathroom and Charlie and Renee's room empty.

_Shatter_

My heart finally shattered when I hesitantly pushed open Bella's door and found it like the rest of the house, empty.

Tears fell down my cheeks as I ran out of the Swan's house and out into their backyard and into the forest behind their house. I ran and ran until I was stopped by a flowing river. I stood and stared down at it, trying to catch my breath.

I reached into the pocket of my jeans and pulled out the box I'd wanted to give Bella during our date today and pulled it open. The diamond embedded into the simple engagement ring glittered in the rays of sunlight that filtered in through the treetops. I pulled it from the satin and, without any thought, threw it into the river below.

I sunk to my knees on the river bed and cried until I had no more tears left to cry.

My Bella was gone and she wasn't coming back.

"Edward!"

I jumped when I heard my Mom calling my name. I had been so engrossed in my thoughts that I hadn't heard her call my name several times and hadn't touched my food. I looked around and saw that everyone's plates were empty. I sighed and stood up to reheat my food in the microwave.

When I returned, everyone was still as quiet as when I left. I sat back down, ignoring them and continuing to eat my dinner.

"Edward?" Mom asked hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

I sighed again and set my fork down. "I ran into someone at the hospital today and I'm still a little surprised, I guess."

"Who was it?" Emmett asked immediately.

"Bella." I answered simply.

Everyone around the table, except for Alice, gasped.

Mom was the first one to speak. "Why was she in the hospital? Is she hurt?"

And that was why I loved my Mom, always first concerned with her family's well being. And Bella was her family, Mom always made sure Bella knew that.

I shook my head. "She was there for a friend that needed stitches."

"Which friend?" Alice asked curiously.

I shrugged. "I didn't ask."

There was silence around the table. The only sound in the house was the TV in the living room playing Lilly's show and the sound of her voice signing along.

"Did you ask her why?"

I turned my head to see Rose looking at me with pleading eyes. When Bella left without saying goodbye to anyone, it hit Rose surprisingly hard. She and Bella had developed a sort of kinship between them. Bella would drive up to Seattle some Saturdays to visit Rose, Rose would drive down to Forks when she could, and sometimes the two would meet in the middle.

I nodded. "I did. She said that it's a long, complicated, and painful story and that she has a lot to tell me. We're meeting at my house tomorrow night to talk."

Silence.

"How do you feel about that?" Dad asked quietly.

I shook my head. "I don't know."

If one thing was for sure, I needed some answers from Bella.

* * *

******A/N: ************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**How did you all like the peek inside Edward's head? My heart breaks for him, I don't know about you guys!  
**

**********Is anyone else as excited for the Olympics as I am? I think I'm putting all that excitement into this story because I'm really cranking out these chapters! I'm so excited for the swimming and gymnastics (USA favored to win GOLD!) What's everyone's favorite Olympic events and what team will you be cheering for? USA!  
**

**Next up: Edward finds out why she left and Bella reveals her secret! It's a doozy!  
**

**Thanks again!**

**- Nikki  
**


	4. Secret, Revealed

**A/N:****************Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

**Okay, folks, this is a big one! I won't bore you with my chatter. **

**Read, and I'll see you at the bottom!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Secret, Revealed **

**BPOV **

The edges of the heavy cardboard box dug into the palms of my hands as I carried it up the steps to Edward's house. I rested it on my thigh and rang the doorbell, taking a deep breath to calm the nerves coursing through me.

A grinning Edward opened the door a second later looking relaxed in a pair of worn jeans and a white t-shirt. "Hey, Bella," he greeted me brightly.

Poor unsuspecting guy. I was about to change his life and he's none the wiser.

Ignorance really is bliss.

"Hi, Edward," I said softly.

He held out his hands, offering to take the box but I refused, opting to put it down on the coffee table in front of me as I sat on his couch in the living room.

He stood at the other end of the couch and cleared his throat. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Um, just some water, thanks." I replied quietly.

He disappeared into the kitchen before reappearing a minute later with two glasses of water. He set them both on the coffee table in front of us and took a seat on the couch next to me, just close enough to be friendly but not too close as to be uncomfortable.

I cleared my throat before I began. "Before I explain, I just want you to know that leaving was not my choice. My parents thought they were doing what was best for me. Well, Charlie was probably thinking in my best interest. Renee probably didn't want to spoil her image."

"But why did you leave, Bell?"

My eyes started to burn with incoming tears at the familiar nickname. "You're going to hate me." I whispered.

Edward reached over to squeeze my hand. "I could never hate you, Bella."

I laughed humorlessly. "Don't be so sure." I took a steadying breath before saying what I came here to say. "We left Forks all those years ago because . . . because I was pregnant, Edward. With your child."

The silence that hung in the air was stifling. I couldn't look at him. I couldn't handle seeing the anger or disgust in his face.

Not knowing what to do, I started rambling. "When I told them I was pregnant, Renee immediately started scheming. You remember how my parents were helping to pay for my tuition to Dartmouth?" I didn't expect Edward to answer so I moved on. "Well, they – mostly Renee – threatened to cut off any monetary help they could give for the baby or for me when I eventually went back to school if I told you about the baby. I couldn't take that chance that I might end up with nothing. I had to think about the well-being of the baby.

"We moved to New York. Over the years, especially during my pregnancy, Renee tried convincing me that you were better off not knowing, that the responsibility of a baby would tie you down when you wanted to go to medical school. And I believed her, in part. I didn't agree that you shouldn't know but I didn't want to tie you down with responsibility when you were working toward your dreams. I wrote you letters and even sent pictures and videos. When I got no response, I thought you just didn't care. Which I thought was weird, my Edward would never just not care about his child.

"After my parents died a few months ago, I found this box in their garage." I tapped the box on the table. "Renee had somehow gotten a hold of everything I tried to send you. She intercepted them all and kept them in this box.

"I'm so sorry you didn't know up until know. If I had it my way you would have known as soon as I found out seven years ago. I'm so sorry, Edward. I thought you should know."

I chanced a look at him. He looked as I guess what the typical man would look like if he was told he has a six year old child – shell-shocked. Like I dropped a bomb in his living room, which I kind of did.

After a minute of silence I was starting to get scared. Scared that he wouldn't want Matthew . . . or me. "Please say something." I whispered.

When he didn't, I stood up to leave before I could hurt him anymore. A hand on my arm stopped me. I looked down to see Edward staring up at me with – well, I really couldn't say what emotion that is.

"W-what – what," He stammered. "I'm sorry, Bella."

I think my eyes nearly fell out of my head. "You're sorry? For what? I'm the one who's sorry, Edward."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."

I smiled a little and sat back on the couch next to him. "I wasn't completely alone. Charlie and Renee were great babysitters. I went to NYU in the mornings and worked the afternoons waiting tables. If it weren't for my parents I would have never been able to go to college and become a teacher like I always wanted."

Edward smiled and we were quiet for a minute before he spoke again. "Girl or boy?" he asked, looking down at his shoes and smiling, almost to himself.

"A boy." I grinned just thinking about my son.

Edward gasped and looked over at me before turning on the couch to sit facing me. "Tell me about him."

"I named him Matthew. Matthew Edward Swan," Edward beamed. "We just call him Matt, mostly. He was born on April 1st, over a week late. Which means he was probably conceived around the weekend after your 19th birthday when Carlisle and Esme left town and I pretty much lived in your bed," We both laughed and smiled nostalgically. "He just turned six a few months ago. He's smart and perceptive, almost too perceptive. Sometimes I forget he's only six since he acts like he's thirty." I laughed to myself.

"Do you have a picture?"

"Of course," I pulled the most recent picture out of my wallet and gave it to him.

His smiled grew wider the second he laid eyes on the boy in the picture. "He has my eyes." He whispered reverently.

I chuckled. "And your untamable hair, only in my color."

We talked more about Matt for a few minutes before I sighed and looked at my watch. "I should probably go. It's almost his bed time."

We both stood and Edward started to hand me the box of letters but I stopped him. "Read them," I urged. "Everything might make a bit more sense."

He nodded and set the box back on the table before walking me to the door.

I turned to face him as I stood in the doorway on his porch and made my final and absolutely crucial point. "Listen, Edward," His piercing eyes met mine and I felt my breath catch for a moment. "Whatever you want to do with this is completely fine. If you want to go back to blissful ignorance, that's fine. If you want to meet him, that's fine too. If you want to become father of the year and coach the soccer team or whatever, we'll work up to that."

Edward took my hand in his much larger one and gave it a small squeeze. "Bella, if I said right now that I know what I want, I'd be lying. I need to think it over some more. But I do know that I can't walk away from this. The thought of that kills me."

I smiled and squeezed his hand back. "That's perfectly fine, Edward. I know this is a lot to take in. Take some time to think. We'll be around."

"I would have stepped up, you know," He said quietly. "If you told me back then. I would have stepped up, given up on medical school and gotten a job to support you and the baby."

"I know. But I didn't want you to give up on your dream."

He tugged on my hand and pulled me into his arms, giving me a comforting hug. "Thank you for coming clean, Bella. I know it must have been hard for you."

"It was, but it was worth it," I whispered back. I stepped out of his embrace and back onto the porch. "Bye, Edward."

"Bye, Bella. I'll call you soon."

I ran out to my car and ducked inside. I took several steadying breaths to calm myself before putting it in drive and pulling away from Edward's house.

* * *

It only took Edward two days to call. I expected to hear from him in a week at least. I was cooking dinner for Matt, Angela, and myself when the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Angela called at the top of her lungs.

No more than thirty seconds later, Angela strolled into the kitchen and held the phone out to me with a smile. "It's for you."

I looked at her quizzically, waiting for her to tell me who was on the line. When she didn't, I shrugged and put it up to my ear while continuing to stir the spaghetti sauce. "Hello?"

"Bella, um, it's Edward."

"Hi, Edward, how've you been?" I asked hesitantly.

There was a beat of silence before he answered. "I've been thinking a lot about you and Matt over the past couple days."

"Oh, yeah?" I set out plates on the kitchen table and set forks next to each one. "Have you thought about what you want to do yet?"

"I have," He responded. He sounded much lighter. There was a smile in his voice. "I want to meet him, Bell. I want to meet my son."

I smiled and leaned against the fridge, hugging the carton of milk I just retrieved. "You do?"

"You sound relieved?"

"I am," I admitted. "Now I'll never have to explain why all of his friends have dads and he doesn't."

Edward was silent for a minute. "Does he know anything about me?" he asked quietly.

"He knows some." I answered. "He knows that Daddy loved Mommy very much and that's why he's here. I explained to him how sometimes two people can't be together, no matter how much they loved each other. I don't know how much he understood but I wouldn't be surprised if he understood the whole thing." I put the milk back in the fridge after pouring a glass for Matt. "He has a picture of you, you know."

"He does?" Edward sounds surprised.

"It's a picture of the two of us in high school. It's in a frame on his nightstand next to his bed. He says goodnight to the picture of Daddy every night."

I heard Edward's intake of breath and he blew it out slowly. "That's, um, that's –" His voice broke as he reined in his emotions. "So he'll recognize me?"

I shrugged. "I don't know," I answered, realizing he couldn't see my shrug. "Maybe, it's kind of an old picture. You look a little different now."

"Good different?" He teased.

I blushed. "Very good," I murmured.

Edward laughed. "So when can I meet him?"

We set up a time later in the week and said goodbye. I smiled to myself at the thought of Matt finally having a whole family. Well, I guess family is in the eye of the beholder but I know Matt has always wanted a father to look up to.

"Matt! Ang! Dinner's ready!"

After we finished eating and Angela cleared the table, I took Matt upstairs to get ready for bed. I changed into a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt while Matt changed into his favorite firemen pajamas. When I got back to his room, he was already sitting in bed holding his favorite books in his lap.

"Ready for bed, little man?" I asked him with a smile.

He nodded and scooted over so I could sit next to him. "Read this one first!" He said, holding out a small chapter book.

"If we read this one, we can read two chapters or we can read two other shorter books."

He scrunched up his nose while he thought. "No, I want to read the chapter book."

I smiled and took the books from his hands and set the other ones on the floor before opening the chapter book and beginning to read.

Once I finished reading two chapters, I rested the book on the nightstand and wrapped my arm around Matt's shoulders. "Ready for bed, sweetie?" I asked him, placing a kiss on the top of his head.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Matt?"

"Will you tell me about Daddy?"

I sucked in a breath. Sure, Matt knew about Edward but he never asked any questions about him. And now that Edward knew about Matt, he wants to meet him but I don't want Matt to be disappointed if somehow Edward decides he doesn't want to be in Matt's life.

"What do you want to know about him, sweetie?"

"Everything," he said.

I hugged him to me as he rested his head on my shoulder. I picked the picture of Edward and I off Matt's nightstand and laid it in my lap. "I met Daddy the summer before 9th grade. I was almost fifteen. Grandma and Pop brought me to see a family that had just moved to town, the Cullens. When we got to their house I met a girl named Alice. She's Daddy's sister, your aunt. We were instant friends. We sat down to dinner at the Cullens house and I looked across the table and Daddy was sitting right across from me. My heart started pounding in my chest and the palms of my hands got really sweaty. He was the cutest boy I had ever seen."

"Ew!" Matt yelled as he laughed.

I laughed and gave him a squeeze. "Well, he was. So long story short, we started dating a couple years later and we fell in love. We made you but then Grandma and Pop said we needed to move away. We left Forks very quickly so I didn't get the chance to tell Daddy that we were going to have a baby."

"Did you – did you ever tell Daddy about me?" He asked hesitantly.

"I did, a few days ago. And you know what?" Matt shook his head. "He wants to meet you."

Matt grinned. "He does?"

I nodded. "In a couple of days. Is that okay?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I wanna meet him. Can he teach me how to play baseball?" he asked eagerly, his eyes lit with excitement.

I was smiling on the outside but my heart was pounding furiously and my mind was racing. I was so happy that Matt was excited about meeting Edward but I was nervous that he was getting his hopes up. I know Edward is a good guy but accepting the responsibility – at least in part – of a six year old boy would be stressful for anyone.

"Um, probably, sweetie. He did play baseball in high school. They won the state championships one year."

I stood up from Matt's bed as he scooted down in bed and laid his head on his pillow. I stood the picture of Edward and I back on his nightstand and tucked him in, kissing his forehead and whispering that I loved him.

As I closed the door to Matt's room, I saw him wave to the picture on his nightstand and whisper, "Goodnight, Daddy. I'll see you soon."

* * *

**A/N: ************************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**Well, how 'bout that?  
**

**So, Renee threatened Bella. Thoughts, people?  
**

**And Edward wants to meet him! Well, we all knew he's a standup guy.**

**Next up: Another peek into the mind of new father, Edward Cullen  
**

**Thanks again!  
**

**- Nikki  
**


	5. Fatherly Contemplations

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

******People have asked me if I follow an update schedule and I'm sorry that I'm not nearly that organized! I just post when the chapters are done. For this specific story, there probably wont be more than 2 weeks between chapters if I go away or something like that.  
**

******And now back to the mind of our new father.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Fatherly Contemplations**

**EPOV**

As soon as the door closed behind Bella, I blindly walked back to the couch and sank down staring at the picture on the coffee table of . . . _my son_.

_I have a son._

Holy crap.

_I'm a father._

Is it weird that that didn't completely freak me out?

I mean, any guy that finds out that they have a six-year old son should freak out. Right? Isn't that what anyone would do?

And suddenly I started picturing it, being a father. I saw myself teaching Matt how to throw a football, saw us on Christmas morning, saw myself teaching him how to ride a bike, saw us going to his first baseball game . . .

And I found myself wanting this, wanting fatherhood. And the first step towards that is meeting him.

That made me worry. Bella said he has a picture of me, what if he couldn't recognize me? What if I didn't live up to his expectations? What if the responsibility was too much?

After much deliberation, I decided to give it my all. I'll put all my effort into being the best father for Matt.

I stood from the couch, grabbed the box Bella left on my coffee table and the picture of Matt, and made my way up the stairs to my bedroom.

My house is way too big for just me. I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought it. It's four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a living room, a huge kitchen and dining room, and a game room in the basement. My mom encouraged me to buy it, probably hoping that I would find someone and settle down, eventually start a family.

But Bella ruined every other woman for me. No one could hold a candle to her. I mean, sure I dated in college, once I got over the initial shock of Bella leaving, and in med school but I always ended up comparing them to Bella.

Once I was in my pajamas and ready for bed, I opened the box and peered inside. There must have been about a hundred letters in there. There were even some of those padded envelopes that were for small packages. They were all filed chronologically. I reached inside and pulled out the first letter. I saw Bella's messy handwriting on the front, spelling out my name and address in Forks and a return address in New York City. I carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the single sheet of paper before beginning to read.

_August 16__th_

_Edward,_

_I'm so sorry._

_By the time you're reading this you've probably seen the note on my front door. I couldn't tell you why we left in the note. I know Renee would have found out._

_Baby, remember the weekend after your birthday last month? The weekend of June 30__th__? Remember how Carlisle and Esme went out of town, Em was in Seattle with Rose, and Ali stayed the weekend at Jess' house? Remember how we only left your bed to use the bathroom and eat? __That was probably the best weekend in my life, Edward. I felt so loved._  


_Something happened that weekend. I guess our number was up._

_I'm pregnant, Edward. I'm about seven weeks along. I'm due on March 23__rd__. _

_I'm so scared, Edward. I'm only eighteen and we were supposed to go to Dartmouth together. I don't know if I can do this without you. _

_As to why I left . . . Renee threatened me. Not with bodily harm, with something much worse. She threatened to cut off any financial support if I told you about the baby and I couldn't risk it. I don't think I could survive without their help. _

_Please say you understand. I know this is a lot to take in but please write back._

_All my love,_

_Bella_

I reread the letter several times. All I could see was a scared teenage girl doing what she thought was best for her unborn child. I could find no fault in that.

I suddenly was very excited to read all of Bella's letters, excited to read how my son grew up.

And I read them all that night.

Bella sent letters every month of her pregnancy and every time Matt reached some sort of childhood milestone. There was almost always a picture that accompanied the letters. During her pregnancy, Bella took a picture of the profile of her growing stomach every week, labeled them how far along she was in each of them, and sent them along in her monthly letters.

_March 31__st_

_Edward, _

_I must know by now that you aren't going to write back. That's okay, but know I'll keep writing to you to keep you updated on our son._

_A boy, I still can't believe it. _

_I don't know if you were keeping track but my due date was over a week ago. I feel like I'm ready to burst open! It looks like I'm smuggling one of those blow-up beach balls under my shirt._

_I can't wait to meet him. I hope you get to meet him one day._

_I know he'll be the perfect mix of the two of us. Isn't that what babies are supposed to be? The best parts of each parent?_

_He'll have your devastating good looks, I'm sure of it. And your mind, MENSA Man. _

_What do you think he'll have of me? Maybe my love of reading? _

_No, he'll have my love of you. _

_I'm going to make sure he knows who you are, Edward. I have this picture of the two of us at First Beach. You're sitting on the sand and I'm kneeling behind you, my arms around your neck, our faces cheek to cheek, and both of us smiling blissfully at the camera._

_We were so happy._

_I picked out a name for him. Finally, right?_

_Matthew. Matthew Edward Swan. _

_You have no idea how much I wish I could put Cullen instead of Swan on his birth certificate. Renee would have a cow. _

_I'm absolutely terrified, Edward. The next step is giving birth. I guess I've been doing alright up until now with the pregnancy. The mood swings, the cravings, and the morning sickness looks like a piece of cake compared to what's next. _

_One thing's for sure, I'm getting an epidural. There is no way in hell that I'm going through all that pain._

_I wish you could feel him moving inside me like he now . . . pressing down on my bladder._

_Gotta pee._

_Love you, miss you,_

_Bella_

I almost laughed when I read that one. She was the same witty Bella that she always was. What kept me from laughing was how scared she was. She was all alone through the whole ordeal and I wasn't there.

The next letters were more infrequent. They were mostly when something exciting happened or a new milestone for Matt.

_April 4__th_

_Edward,_

_I'm sorry I haven't gotten the chance to write in awhile. Your son has been keeping me quite busy._

_I don't know if you look at the calendar, but Matt's birthday was two days ago. He turned five. He had a Star Wars themed party with seven of his friends in our tiny little apartment in Alphabet City. Angela hid in her room until all the small children had gone._

_Do you know what he wished for when blew out the candles at his party? It's what he wishes for every year._

_He wishes to meet Daddy._

_I miss you, Edward, so much. _

_Please, no matter how mad you are with me, write back. Give your son his birthday wish._

_Love you, miss you,_

_Your Bella_

That was the hardest one to read.

I carefully placed all of the letters back in the box and put on the floor by my nightstand. I collected the pile of pictures I'd taken from the letters and stacked them up on the nightstand by my digital clock. I stood my favorite picture up against the stack so I could look at it as I fell asleep.

It was Bella and Matt on his second birthday. She was holding him in her arms and he had chocolate cake all over his face and a skewed party hat on his head. Bella was laughing at something the person taking the picture was saying. She looked so happy.

I set my alarm for noon, since I had the afternoon shift, and drifted off to sleep, dreaming I had been there to see Matt grow up.

"Edward. Edward. Edward!"

I was jolted awake by someone calling my name and shaking my shoulder. I blinked rapidly to clear the bleariness of sleep from my eyes and looked up to see who woke me up.

"Alice!" I growled, rolling over on my other side. "What do you want?"

"Relax, Ed. It's ten-thirty, normal adults have been awake for several hours."

I groaned and covered my head with a pillow. "Yes, well, normal adult don't work crazy hours. They work nine to five jobs. My shift is from two to midnight."

Alice huffed. "Well, I was only trying to be a good sister. I know Bella came over last night and I wanted to see how it went and if you're okay."

I rolled back over to face her and sat up, swinging my legs over the side the bed to sit on the edge. "I'm fine. Really fine, actually. She came over, we talked, and she left about twenty minutes later."

"What did she have to tell you?" Alice asked, sitting down beside me on the bed. "Why did she leave?"

I leaned across my bed and picked up the stack of pictures of a pregnant Bella and Matt. I'd kept them in chronological order. It's almost like a flip book of the past seven years of Bella's life. I handed the pictures to my sister and waited for her reaction.

"Bella has a kid? That's great. She's always loved kids." Alice said as she flipped through the pictures of Bella pregnant and of Matt when he was little. When she got to the pictures of him when he was about three of four, she did a double take and her brows furrowed. "Wait . . ." When she got to the last one, the most recent one, her mouth dropped open. "Edward," She whispered.

"She left because she was pregnant, Alice." I took the picture from her hand and smiled at it. "I have a son."

There was a minute of silence before Alice stood up and started pacing. "I knew this had to do with kids but I didn't know it was your kid!" She stopped pacing and stared at me. "Holy crap." She dragged out every syllable. "This is big."

"I know," I nodded and looked back down at the picture.

"Wait, so she left because she was pregnant but could never tell you? That's stupid! You would have stepped up and been a good guy, been a good dad to that little boy. Why didn't she tell you?" she ranted.

"Whoa there, Ali, just sit down and I'll tell you everything."

And I did tell her everything. I told her how scared Bella was, how Renee threatened to cut her off if she told me, how she tried to send letters and pictures and videos to get in touch with me, how Matt wants to meet me.

When I finished, all Alice said was, "Okay, I don't blame her then. You said she sent videos?"

I loved my twin's ability to forgive. As long as there was a perfectly reasonable explanation, you're forgiven, or at least on the way to forgiven.

"Yeah," I laughed. "I haven't watched them yet."

Alice squealed and clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, can we watch them together? I want to see my nephew!"

I chuckled. "Sure, Ali, I think I still have a VCR."

Alice sighed and snuggled closer to me on the couch. "Oh, Ed, he's so cute!"

I sighed too as I watched Bella and an eight month old Matt opening presents on Christmas, his first Christmas.

In the video, Bella looked at something off-camera when someone called her name. _"One second, Mom!"_ she called and looked back at the baby in her lap. _"Okay, Ang," _she continued in a whisper, looking up at the person operating the camera. _"Quick before she comes back," _She picked Matt up under the arms and held him high up on her chest so their cheeks were touching. She stood up and walked them both closer to the camera. Bella held Matt's hand in hers and waved to the camera. _"Say bye and Merry Christmas to Daddy, Matthew!" _she said with a laugh. _"Bye, Edward, Merry Christmas, miss you, love you." _She blew a kiss at the camera before the picture went black.

"Edward . . ." Alice whispered.

"I know," I whispered back.

She turned to look at me with a probing gaze. "What are you going to do?"

"Al, I . . . I think I need this. I need to meet him."

She smiled. "That's what I thought you would do. I'm so happy for you. You've always wanted kids." She gave me a little squeeze and we were quiet for a minute before she giggled disbelievingly. "I just can't believe you're a dad!"

"I'm a father," I said. "It takes a lot more to be a dad."

* * *

******A/N: ************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**So, Edward's not scared about being a father! Thoughts, anyone?  
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**Next up: THE MEETING!  
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**Thanks again!  
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**- Nikki  
**


	6. Auntie Alice

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

******I just finished this chapter a few minutes ago! So glad I did since I'm headed to the COLDPLAY concert tonight! Soooooo excited!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 6 –Auntie Alice  
**

**BPOV**

The morning of Edward and Matt's meeting dawned early. At six o'clock there was a small body in my bed, nudging me awake.

"Mommy!" Matt whisper shouted. "When is Daddy coming over?"

I groaned and rolled over, glancing at the clock before looking up at my son's excited face. "Buddy, it's six o'clock in the morning. Daddy isn't coming over until after he gets off of work at four."

My heart almost broke when his face dropped. "Oh, okay." He said dejectedly and laid down next to me.

"Oh, sweetie," I pulled him close to my body and he nuzzled my shoulder. "It's not that he doesn't want to see you sooner. He just has to work."

Matt furrowed his brows in confusion. "But . . . you don't have to work in the summer. So, why does he?"

I smiled and tickled his stomach a little to get the frown off his face. "Well, I'm a teacher and there's no school in the summer so there's no work for me to do. Daddy is a doctor and there are always sick people that need help."

His face brightened. "Daddy's a doctor? Like Dr. Cheney who did my stitches?" he asked in awe.

I nodded. "He is, in fact he and Dr. Cheney are good friends."

"That's so cool." He whispered in admiration.

Matt and I got ourselves up and dressed by seven o'clock and made our way downstairs to make breakfast. Angela was already sitting at the kitchen table, dressed in light green scrubs and eating a large blueberry muffin while reading the morning paper.

"'Morning, Auntie Angie!" Matt chirped and hopped up on the chair next to her. "You have to work today?"

Angela nodded. "Today's my first day."

"Do you know what department in the hospital they're going to have you work in?" I asked her as I started making pancakes on the stove top.

"Nope," said Angela. "For the next couple weeks they're going to rotate me around the departments so I can choose which I like best."

"Are you going to work with my Daddy?"

Both Angela and I whipped our heads to look at Matt.

_Man, my kid is sharp! _

Angela looked at me for what to say, all I could do was shrug.

"Uh, I don't know, buddy." She managed to stutter out. "I'll have to see when I get there today."

"Okay," Matt nodded and turned around in his seat and pulled one of his comic books that happened to be sitting on the table towards him.

Angela and I exchanged quick glances before I turned back to the pancakes and she gathered her belongings.

"Alright!" She announced. "I'm headed to work! Someone's gotta bring home the money to feed the growing boy." She kissed the top of Matt's head as he laughed.

"Good luck!" I called to her as she disappeared out the front door.

After Matt and I had a breakfast of fruit salad and delicious pancakes, if I do say so myself, and found ourselves with not much to do.

As I cleaned the dishes, Matt read his comic book. "So, what do you want to do today, buddy?" I asked him.

"I thought I was seeing Daddy today?" He asked me, his brows knitted together in concern.

"You are," I hurried to reassure him. "I meant what do you want to do before that?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we could watch a movie and go somewhere later? Is there a park here?"

I nodded. "That sounds good, bud. There's a park around the corner from the house, actually."

So that's exactly what we did. We watched _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_, Matt's favorite movie, before fixing ourselves grilled cheese sandwiches for an early lunch and setting out for the park.

The park was only a quick five minute walk from our house. I slipped my sunglasses over my eyes as the bright sun beat down on us as we reached the park gate. I gave Matt one last reminder to play nice with the other kids and don't talk to strangers before showing him where I'll be sitting and letting him go play.

I smiled as he ran towards the slide on the playground. He was such a good kid, rarely ever argues with me.

I walked across the playground and sat down on the bench that I pointed out to Matt minutes ago. Id only been on the bench for a few minutes when I heard, "Bells? Is that you?"

I turned to see none other than Alice Cullen walking towards me from the sidewalk, her arms laden with shopping bags.

"I thought that was you! Edward told me you were home." She said as she set her shopping bags on the ground by the bench and pulled me up and into a bone crushing hug. "I've missed you." She whispered as she squeezed me.

"Missed you too, Ali," I sighed and squeezed her back. And I did miss her. Alice was the closest thing I ever had to a sister.

She released me and sat down beside me on the bench. I reflexively glanced around, checking to see that Matt was okay, and smiled when I saw him on the swings.

"He really does look a lot like Ed as a kid."

I gasped and whirled around to look at her. Alice was smiling as she watched Matt on the swings. She nodded when she met my questioning stare. "Yeah, he told me about Matthew."

We were both quiet for a minute. I didn't know what to say, should I apologize for not telling _her _too?

"He's really excited, you know," Alice spoke up. I looked at her curiously, having no idea what she was talking about. "Edward, I mean," she clarified. "About Matt, about being a dad."

I nodded. "Matt's pretty excited too," I told her with a chuckle. "He woke me up at six o'clock this morning asking when his daddy is coming over."

"That's so cute!" Alice squealed as she settled more comfortably back on the bench.

I turned to her, still keeping my eyes on my son now in the sandbox. "So what has everyone been up to these past years?" I asked.

"Well," Alice began. "Emmett and Rose got married after they graduated."

I gasped and smiled. "That's so great!" I exclaimed. "I knew they were perfect for each other."

Alice nodded. "They have a little girl, Lilly, she's two. Mom and Dad are pretty much the same, Dad is Chief of Medicine at the hospital now and Mom still has her studio downtown"

"What about you, Ali?"

She grinned. "I'm engaged!" she squealed and held out her left hand.

I gasped and grabbed her hand, looking down at the gorgeous diamond ring on her third finger. "Oh, Ali, it's beautiful! Who's the lucky guy?"

She blushed. "His name is Jasper Whitlock. I met him at UW, he was a junior when I was a freshman."

"That's so great, Ali. I'm happy for you." I squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "What did you end up doing with yourself?"

"I'm a teacher at Forks Elementary, first grade."

"You're kidding!" I gasped, laughing to myself. "I'm the other first grade teacher! I just got the job!"

Alice squealed again. "Oh my god! This is going to be so fun! The woman that had the job before you was such a bitch. Now we can do class projects together!"

I laughed. "Yeah, that would be fun." A thought suddenly occurred to me. "Oh! Matt's going to be in your class in the fall."

She smiled. "That's exciting, my nephew in my class."

Alice and I chatted for a few more minutes before she sighed and checked her watch. "I'd better get going. It's almost three and I have a doctor's appointment at three-thirty."

"Wow, it's already that late?" I asked in amazement. "We'd better get home. Matt!" I called and my son came running a minute later. "Sorry, bud, but we gotta head home now."

"Okay," He nodded and glanced over at Alice. "Mommy," he whispered. "Who is she?" he gestured to Alice.

I chuckled. "It's okay, buddy. This is your Aunt Alice, she's Daddy's sister."

Matt's face morphed into a smile as he looked up at Alice. "Oh, hi, Aunt Alice." He waved up at her and held his hand out for a shake.

Alice looked at me, asking me if he was serious. I nodded. I wasn't kidding, he really is a tiny thirty year old.

Alice laughed and shook his head. "It's nice to meet you, Matt. I would stay and get to know you better but I really have to go." She gave me a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek and one last wave to Matt as she walked back out of the park and back to the sidewalk.

I took Matt's hand and we made it back to our house less than ten minutes later, Matt telling me all the way about how much fun he had at the park. Once we got back to the house, I made him a quick snack and set him up with some coloring in his bedroom. After he was set, I finished unpacking the kitchen.

I must have lost track of time because before I knew it, the doorbell rang. I dropped the dishtowel I was holding on the counter and hurried to the front door, pulling it open quickly.

Edward stood on the front porch, looking very nervous in dark jeans and a dark blue t-shirt, his hair slightly damp. "Uh, hi, Bella."

"Hey, Edward," I smiled and held the door open for him to come inside. "How are you?"

He raked his hand through his hair. "A little nervous," he said with a chuckle.

"Don't be," I assured him. "He's really excited to meet you."

Edward smiled. "I'm excited to meet him too."

I heard Matt's door open just then and the sound of his footsteps running down the upstairs hallway and starting down the stairs. He appeared at the bottom of the stairs a second later and froze.

I sucked in a breath as the room fell absolutely silent.

_Please let this go well, please let this go well . . . _I begged whoever was listening up there.

Matt suddenly grinned his father's lopsided grin after a minute before launching himself off the bottom step and towards Edward.

Edward thankfully had the sense to catch him at the last second and pulled him into his arms.

Matt's arms went around Edward's neck, closed his eyes and rested his head on Edward's shoulder before whispering, just loud enough for me to hear across the room,

"Daddy,"

* * *

**A/N:****************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**********************************Aww! So sweet!  
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**********************************How do you think Matt and Edward will get along?**

**********************************NOTE: Head over to my profile to vote in a poll about this story! The** question: In My Little Secret, which would you like to see more of in the next chapter? **Please vote! Your input would really help me figure out where you want this story to go!**

**I'm off to the concert!************************************  
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**Thanks again!  
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**- Nikki  
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	7. My Son

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

**Sorry for the delay! I wanted to finish How I Met and I went on an unexpected vacation where I didnt have internet access! Such a hassle!  
**

**Anyway... this is a long one! Enjoy.  
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* * *

**Chapter 7 – My Son**

**EPOV**

I walked into the hospital this morning nearly vibrating out of my skin. I'd never felt like this before, like the hospital was the last place I wanted to be. I always loved coming to the here, putting on my scrubs, and helping people.

But my mind was somewhere else today, across town with Bella and Matt.

I wanted to meet him so bad I was considering going up to my dad's office and faking sick so I could go to Bella's house earlier.

Ben looked at me like I was crazy when I met him in the locker room after donning our scrubs and white lab coats. He handed me a to-go cup of coffee reluctantly.

"Man, are you okay?" he asked me.

I arched my eyebrow at his question. "Yeah, why?" I asked slowly.

"Well, you look a little . . . twitchy."

"Twitchy?" I choked out a nervous laugh. "I'm just nervous. I'm meeting him tonight, after shift." I said in a low voice.

I told Ben a few days ago about Matt, needing someone to confide to besides my sister. He seemed very happy for me and encouraged me to get to know Matt.

Ben chuckled and punched my shoulder. "Don't be, Edward. He's one cute kid, funny as hell too. I'm sure it'll be perfect."

That made me pause. "How do you know he's funny? You've met him? When?"

Ben held his non coffee holding hand up in front of him as if to stop me from attacking him. Huh, I guess I did take a few menacing steps towards him. "Whoa, man, Bella brought him into the ER the other day."

My mind was instantly reeling. This was clearly the 'friend' she was talking about that night in the cafeteria, and I was instantly glad it wasn't more of a _boy_friend. Bu then my mind stopped and focused on the most important thing of all.

"Well, is he okay? What's wrong, what happened? What's the prognosis?"

Ben smirked while I ranted. "He's fine, Edward. He just fell off the monkey bars and got about an inch or so laceration on his forehead. He was more scared than anything else."

I breathed out a sigh of relief. Good, he's okay, Matt's okay.

Ben registered my relief and laughed. "You had me scared there for a minute, Edward. I thought you were going to hit me."

Ben and I made our way to the ER. On the way, Ben went on and on about a new nurse starting today. "Oh, man, she's really hot." He said for the third time. By now I was just nodding my head, trying to look interested.

Once we arrived in the ER, the nurses immediately directed us to the patients who needed the most attention or who had been waiting the longest.

I was standing by the nurses' station signing the discharge papers for the third patient that needed stitches today when I heard the doors to the main hospital swoosh open. Dad walked in chatting animatedly with a brunette in nurses' scrubs. Ben appeared on my other side with his own set of discharge papers in his hands, staring at the nurse. So this must be the girl he was talking about.

I looked at her again. Sure, she was nice looking. But she had nothing on my Bella.

_She's not yours,_ My inner voice reminded me. _And she probably never will be again._

Dad approached us, the nurse still at his side. "Boys, I'd like you to meet our newest nurse, Angela Webber. She's going to be rotating around the departments for the next couple weeks to decide where she'd like to work permanently, starting in the ER. Angela, this Dr. Cheney and Dr. Cullen, a couple of our third year residents,"

Angela, Bella's friend. Bella told me her friend was starting here soon.

Ben was still staring at her stupidly, so I stuck my hand out for a shake. "Nice to meet you, Angela."

She eyed me suspiciously but shook my hand anyways. "So, you're Edward. Bella's told me a lot about you."

Dad looked surprised. "You know Bella?"

Angela nodded, still appraising me with her dark eyes. "She's my best friend. I live in her spare bedroom."

"Bella's told me about you too." I told her.

Dad continued to look surprised. I'm sure he'll be asking me later about my talk with Bella. I'll tell him it went well, but I've decided not to tell anyone else in my family about Matt until I get to know him better.

Dad left the ER once he introduced Angela to some of the other nurses and doctors. A couple hours later, I was filling out a prescription for an antibiotic for a patient when Angela approached me. "Dr. Cullen, I'm going to be frank," she said quietly so no one else could hear. "I've raised Matt as my own since I met him when he was six months old. He calls me Auntie Angela. If you do anything to hurt that little boy, I will gladly castrate you."

My mouth fell open a little in shock but I nodded in agreement. "Duly noted. If I ever do something to hurt him, your punishment will be welcome."

Angela smirked and nodded before walking away.

At around three o'clock, near the end of my shift, my cell phone rang. I answered it quickly, fearing that it was Bella calling to cancel my meeting with Matt.

"Hello?"

"Oh, Ed, he's just the cutest thing! A perfect little gentleman. It makes me want to start having some of my own!"

I sighed, looking down at the chart in my hand and frowning. This really wasn't the time to have a phone conversation but I was curious what the hell she was talking about. "Alice, what the hell are you talking about?"

Alice huffed as if I should have known immediately what she was talking about. "I'm talking about Matt, you idiot. You know, your son? I just met him."

I groaned. "Tell me you didn't go over there. I told you not to go to her house!"

"I didn't go over there, Edward." She snapped, irritated by my insinuation. "I was downtown and I walked by the park and saw Bella sitting on the bench by the playground so I went over to say hi. Matt was playing on the playground and when I had to leave, Bella called him over so I could meet him. Oh, Ed, he looks just like you, so adorable and so sweet."

I smiled. "Really? He looks just like me?"

"Like a mini doppelganger."

An ambulance suddenly pulled up in the ambulance bay, sirens whirring and whooping. "I have to go, Ali. An ambulance just pulled up."

"Go save lives." I heard her say before I ended the call.

I hurried outside to the ambulance just in time to help the paramedics and another doctor pull the gurney out of the back of the ambulance.

Laying motionless on the gurney was a small teenage girl, no more than sixteen. She had long dark hair almost black, twisted around her head on the head of the gurney. The ends of her hair were wet and her skinny body was wrapped in bath towels. Her wrists were wrapped in heavy bandages. She looked up at all of us, two doctors and a nurse, with terrified eyes.

"Sixteen year old female," The male paramedic reported as we started to move the gurney inside and into a trauma room. "Tried to commit suicide by cutting her wrists in the bathtub. The parents found her soon after and were able to try to stop the bleeding with bath towels. We tried to get the bleeding under control once we arrived on scene but the cuts are deep."

The paramedics left once we were inside the hospital and had started our attempts to get the bleeding under control.

"The nerves look intact," Dr. Kebi, the ER attending, said. "And the bleeding is stopping. Let's bandage her up and let her rest in a room. Give her something mild for the pain and call up for a psych consult." He added quietly to the nurse.

"Yes, doctor." She said and went to the cabinet in search of mild pain medications.

"Dr. Cullen," Dr. Kebi pulled me aside after we finish bandaging her wrists. "I need you to stay with her while we wait for the psych consult. We can't leave her alone."

I nodded and he left the room.

The room was silent for a minute, with the exception of the beeping of the machines.

I had honestly no idea what to say to this girl but I decided to just wing it. I sat in the chair by her bedside and pulled it closer. "I'm Dr. Cullen," I smiled at her and rested my elbows on my knees. "What's your name?"

"M-Maggie," She whispered. "Where's my mom?"

"Dr. Kebi, the doctor that was in here earlier, is talking to her. You can see her in a bit." I looked down at my shoes to think of something to say. "What grade are you in, Maggie?"

"I'm going into my junior year in high school." She said quietly.

I nodded. "That's a tough year, a big year for the future. Have you thought about what you want to be when you grow up?"

She shrugged. "I don't know." She whispered. "Maybe a teacher, I think. I like history."

"I like history too. It was one of my favorite subjects in school." I paused, thinking of something else to say. "Teaching will be fun. My . . . good friend is a teacher. She loves it, loves the kids she teaches."

Maggie nodded. "I like kids." She said so quietly I almost didn't hear her, looked away and her hands fidgeted on the bed.

There was a knock on the door and a blond head popped in. "Dr. Cullen, I didn't expect to see ya here."

"Hey, Ja – Dr. Whitlock," I corrected myself.

Jasper opened the door fully and walked in the room. My sister's fiancé was extremely tall, not nearly as tall my brother but tall all the same. He has curly blond hair, cut short enough to see waves but not full curls, and bright blue eyes. His Texas manners and charming twang made him seem friendly and personable. I think it was the real reason my sister fell for him.

"And this must be Miss Maggie," Jasper walked over to the other side of her bed and pulled up another chair. "I'm Dr. Whitlock, can we talk for a minute?"

Maggie nodded and I rose. "I'll come and check on you tomorrow, okay?"

She nodded. "Bye, Dr. Cullen."

I checked with Dr. Kebi to see if he needed anything else before hurrying down to the locker rooms.

Twenty minutes later I was in my car sitting outside Bella's house. I slowly got out of my car and walked up the steps to the porch. I took a big, steadying breath before ringing the doorbell.

Bella answered the door a few seconds later looking gorgeous in jean shorts and a purple top, her long beautiful hair pulled up into a high ponytail.

"Uh, hi, Bella," I stuttered out.

She smiled. "Hey, Edward. How are you?" She held the door open wider for me to walk inside.

"A little nervous," I admitted, racking my hand through my unruly hair.

"Don't be," She told me. "He's really excited to meet you."

"I'm excited to meet him too."

I heard a door open upstairs and the sound of footsteps before small socked feet appeared at the top of the stairs. I held my breath as my son walked down the steps and into view. He paused on the bottom step and stared at me.

I heard Bella suck in a breath next to me.

Alice was right, he looks just like me. Matt has the same wild, untamable hair as me, only it's a little bit darker, more towards Bella's color. He seemed tall for his age, long and lanky like me. My green eyes stared back at me once I looked up at his face. Matt seemed to have more of me in him than Bella. He has my sharp jaw and angular nose but Bella's full lips. On his forehead was a bandage covering the stitches Ben put in a few days ago.

Suddenly, Matt grinned a familiar crooked smile and launched himself off the step and across the room towards me.

I unfroze my unmoving body, caught him at the last second, and pulled him into my arms, letting out an almost silent grunt as he collided with my chest.

His arms went around my neck as he laid his head on my shoulder. I felt my arms instinctually hold him tighter as he whispered, "Daddy,"

"Matthew," I breathed out in relief.

In that moment as I squeezed Matt tighter in my arms, I felt like the Grinch in _How the Grinch Stole Christmas _by Dr. Seuss. The part when the Grinch's heart grew from two sizes too small to three sizes too big.

Of course, if that were actually true I would go into some kind of cardiac arrest.

I glanced over at Bella and saw that she was beaming at the two of us and hugging her arms around her waist as her eyes watered. I smiled back and gave Matt a little squeeze around the middle.

"I've been waiting so long to meet you, Daddy. I wished for it when I blew out the candles on my _Toy Story_ birthday cake when I turned six." Matt said to me as he raised his head from my shoulder to see my face.

I smiled sadly. "I'm so glad your wish came true, Matt."

"Me too,"

Matt and I sat on the couch while Bella tearfully excused herself to the kitchen. We talked about anything and everything for nearly two hours until Bella called us to dinner. Once we finished with dinner, I offered to help clean up but Bella insisted that I spend more time with Matt. A small hand appeared in mine and proceeded to pull me into the living room and pull me to sit on the couch with him to watch his favorite movie, the first _Harry Potter_.

About halfway through the movie, I noticed Matt seemed to be leaning far more heavily on my shoulder than he was before. I looked down to see him fast asleep, his face completely peaceful.

I carefully, so as not to wake him, lifted him off the couch and into my arms. I walked quietly to the kitchen to ask Bella where his bedroom is.

"Follow me," she whispered and walked back into the living room and up the stairs.

I gently laid Matt in his bed and stood back to watch Bella get him ready for bed. She changed him into his pajamas and tucked him under the covers before brushing his hair back, kissing his forehead and whispering, "Goodnight, sweetie,"

"Night, Mommy. Night, Daddy." Matt mumbled as he rolled over.

"Goodnight, buddy." I replied before following Bella back down the stairs and into the living room.

**BPOV**

Edward followed me back downstairs and into the living room. I didn't know what to say so an awkward silence hung in the air around us. "Uh," I cleared my throat. "Do you have to take off or would you like to stay for a bit and have a drink?" I asked him, not knowing which option I wanted him to take.

He smiled awkwardly. "Um, I could go for a drink, if that's okay."

I nodded. "Beer, wine, water . . . ?"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stood awkwardly by the couch. "A beer's good."

"I'll be right back. Have a seat," I nodded towards the couch to put him out of his misery.

I walked back towards the kitchen and retrieved two beers from the fridge before walking back to kitchen and sitting on the couch next to Edward and handed him his beer. We both took generous sips before he spoke.

"Thank you for letting me meet him, Bella."

I nodded and started picking at the label on the bottle, tearing it into tiny shreds. "It's nothing, I mean you're his dad," I let out a little awkward chuckle. We were quiet for a moment again. "You're really good with him." I said.

Edward smiled his magnificent smile that, if I were standing, would have made my knees buckle. "I love kids and he's such a good one. You did a really good job raising him, Bell." He met my eyes for a moment, a familiar look flitting across them before he looked back down at his own bottle. "That's why I decided to go in to pediatrics."

"You did?"

He nodded. "We get to declare our specialties within the next couple of years. Up until medical school I thought I was going to be a cardiothoracic surgeon like Dad but when I was actually studying it, I found that everyone wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon and shockingly little wanted to deal with kids. I liked my pediatric classes the best and I already loved kids so it was an obvious choice to be a pediatric surgeon."

I tucked my legs up underneath me on the couch so my body was facing him completely. "And what did Carlisle think of that?"

Edward turned to face me. "He was actually very supportive. He would have liked me to follow in his footsteps but he wanted me to enjoy whatever specialty I chose. He actually introduced me to . . ."

He was cut off by yells and sobs coming from Matt's bedroom. "Mommy!" He sobbed from the floor above.

I shot off the couch and set my beer on the coffee table before hurrying upstairs and into Matt's room, Edward hot on my heels.

Matt was sitting up in bed, clutching his blackest to his chest and sobbing. "Mommy," He said when he saw me. "I – I d-d-dream-m-ed that –"

I rushed to his bedside, pulled him into my arms, and held him to my chest as he cried. After a minute he looked up and saw Edward standing in the doorway. "Daddy!" He cried, pushing off of me and holding his arms out to Edward.

Edward hurried over to him and lifted Matt into his arms before turning to sit on the bed beside me. I rubbed Matt's back while he cried it out on Edward's shoulder.

Matt lifted his head to look at Edward. "Daddy, I dreamed that I woke up and you were gone again. Don't go, Daddy!" he cried, dropping his head back to Edward's shoulder and hugged his neck tightly.

Edward looked at me with a bewildered expression, asking me what to say. I shrugged in response, slightly taken aback myself. He hugged Matt closer to him and spoke softly in his ear, "Don't worry, buddy, I'll be here as long as you want me."

About twenty minutes later, Matt had finished crying and fallen asleep on Edward's shoulder, clutching Edward's t-shirt tightly in his fists. Edward didn't seem angry that he couldn't leave, on the contrary, he laid Matt right down beside himself on the tiny little bed.

I smiled at the two of them. "Goodnight, Edward,"

"Night, Bella," He smiled back and closed his eyes. "See you in the morning."

I walked down the hallway to my bedroom and changed into my pajamas. As I walked back down the hall to head downstairs for a bit, I poked my head into Matt's room. I grinned as I made my downstairs to finish the dishes, happy to see my son so happy.

I was back upstairs in my bed a half an hour late when it really hit me, I now have to share my son. I never had to share Matt's attention, never had share custody of him, never had to drop him off at his father's for the weekend for designated visits like some single mothers that I used to know, and never had to consult someone else about major decisions for Matt.

_Well, _I sighed. _We'll just see how this turns out._

I closed my eyes and dreamed, dreamed of Edward and I getting back together and Edward, Matt, and I becoming a _real_ family.

* * *

**A/N:****************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**********************************Aww! So sweet!  
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**********************************What do you think Edward's will think when he tells them about Matt?  
**

**********************************UP NEXT: The next morning and telling the family! Oh dear!  
**

**Thanks again!  
**

**************************************- Nikki**  



	8. Surprises and Reactions

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

**This chapter has a kind of awkward time jump. So sorry if that makes it hard to read for anyone.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Surprises and Reactions**

**BPOV**

I woke the next morning to the sound of pots and pans clinking and clanking down in the kitchen. I rose quickly and headed downstairs, concerned that someone else was cooking in my kitchen since Angela burned anything she makes and Matt certainly doesn't know how yet.

I stood agape in the doorway to the kitchen at the sight in front of me. Edward was standing by the stove top, hair mused and clothes rumpled, cooking a skillet full of scrambled eggs while Matt and Angela sat at the kitchen table enjoying a pile of toast and a pitcher of orange juice.

"Wh-what the hell?" I spluttered.

"That's a bad word, Mommy!" Matt sang as he picked up a new piece of toast.

Angela smirked. "Edward made us breakfast, B."

Edward handed me a plate of eggs and bacon. I took it numbly, still in shock, and sat down at the table across from Angela. Edward made his own plate and was about to sit down with us when his cell phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and murmured, "I have to take this," before walking towards the other end of the room. He answered the call and said, "Hey, Katie,"

I felt my face drop and my heart sped up.

Katie? Fuck.

Oh my god. Does Edward have a girlfriend? My heart would break if that was true.

I exchanged a look with Angela and she murmured, "Sorry, B,"

"She is?" Edward said. "Well, I was planning on check on her today. Yeah, I'll go see her during my charting break. Yeah, I'll bring her some good food, not that disgusting cafeteria food." He laughed. "What are you doing for lunch? Well, then it's a date, hon."

My heart sank into the region of my stomach. Shit.

Hon?

He has a girlfriend.

My eyes started to water before I could stop them. I rested my elbows on the table and hung my head, willing my emotions into submission.

"Okay, see you later. Bye, Katie." Edward hung up and walked back over to us. "Sorry, but they're calling me into the hospital early."

So his girlfriend is a doctor too. Figures.

I sighed and looked up at him with the most convincing smile I could muster. "That's okay. We'll just see you later?"

He nodded. "I can be over tonight, if that's okay?"

"Perfect,"

Edward shoved a few pieces of bacon in his mouth, grabbed a couple slices of toast, and hugged Matt goodbye.

"Bye, Daddy," Matt said as Edward hugged him. "Are going to help people?"

He nodded and smiled. "That's my job. I'll see you later, buddy, okay? For dinner?"

"Okay, Daddy,"

Edward set him back in his chair and turned to Angela and I. "See you at hospital, Angela. See you tonight, Bella." He hesitated by me before waving and heading out to the living room and out the front door.

I sighed and hung my head again. Angela patted my back on her way to the sink to clean her plate.

I decided right then and there that if Edward was happy who was I to get in the middle of his relationship with this woman? Fuck this noise. From now on, platonic only.

**~ 2 weeks later ~**

**EPOV **

I found room 357 in the East Wing pretty quickly and knocked on the door, balancing the tray of food in my other hand. Someone yelled for me to come in so I walked into the room.

Maggie was sitting up in bed, the plain white sheets tucked around her and a light gray sweater over her hospital gown. "Hi, Edward," She greeted. "I didn't expect to see you today. This is the third day this week."

It's been nearly two weeks since I met Matt and since Maggie was brought in. Over the weeks, I've gotten to know my son so much more than I ever thought possible. Bella has been a bit distant towards me lately, almost as if she didn't want to know me even as a friend.

I've also gotten to know Maggie too. She and I developed a sort of kinship. I bring her non-hospital food and we talk.

"I told you I would check on you today." I smiled and set the tray of food on the bedside table. "I brought Panera today, none of that cafeteria shit."

She giggled. I smiled seeing her happy, considering why she was brought in here. "I freaking love Panera," She said. "What did you bring?"

"Broccoli and cheddar soup, mac and cheese, and a roasted turkey and avocado BLT. I figured we could share." I set the tray on the rolling TV table in front of her, pulling each item out of the bag along with two cups of lemonade.

Maggie smiled. "No dessert?"

I pulled the last item out of the bag with a grin. "You underestimate me, Mags. Of course I got their delicious chocolate chip cookies."

Maggie and I talked for nearly forty-five minutes while we enjoyed our . . . brunch. We talked about school and her birthday next week, she told me about her friends, and asked me questions about college and medical school. I had a surprisingly good time.

When I left her room to check on other patients, Jasper called me over to where he was standing by the nurses' station. "Since Maggie's been gettin' sick lately we had blood drawn and a toxicology report done. We just got the results back. I thought ya might want to see this."

I took the papers she was holding and looked them over. I could feel my eyes widening as I read the most crucial piece of information on the page. I looked up at Jasper and nodded, noting that he didn't have to share this with me since she wasn't technically my patient anymore.

"Fuck," I muttered and handed the paper back to him. "Thanks, Jas,"

"Would ya consider comin' back to talk to her about this? You two seem to have developed a friendship." He asked me.

"Yeah, uh," I coughed nervously. "I can come by after my shift. Are you going to talk to her about this first?"

He nodded. "I'm goin' to try."

I went about my shift in the ER in a slight daze, still a little shocked about Maggie's test results. Nothing exciting happened and no big traumas came in, so being in a daze wasn't that detrimental.

I went straight back up to Maggie's room instead of changing in the locker room first.

Jasper was waiting just outside the door. He shook his head. "She barely talked to me. As soon I mentioned the test results she blanched and barely spoke a word. Hopefully she'll talk more to you." He patted my back and started down the hall. "You comin' to ya parents' tonight, right?"

"Yeah," I called back.

God, what a stressful day. First, I was planning on telling my family about Bella and Matt tonight and now this.

I knocked quickly before entering. "Hey, Mags. I came to say goodbye before I left for the night."

She was curled into practically the fetal position on her bed staring at the wall. "Hi, Edward," she whispered.

I pulled up a chair to her bedside and lowered the side rail so her face wasn't obscured. "I know you talked to Dr. Whitlock today. I've seen the test results, Mags."

She whimpered and covered her face with her hands.

"Hey, hey," I softly chastised, pulling her hands away from her face. "Don't do that," I held her hands in my own and squeezed them softly before wiping her tears away with the back of my hands. "You could have told me, I wouldn't have judged you." We were quiet for a few minutes before she met my eyes and looked away again. "Would it help if I told you something about myself? Something I've never told anyone before?"

She nodded and sat up in bed.

"Well, when I was in high school, I fell in love and started dating the most beautiful girl in my school. I met her when we were little when I moved to Forks and she became my twin sister's best friend. I was so in love with her," I shook my head.

"What's her name?" Maggie whispered.

I cleared the emotion out of my throat that had risen thinking about the past. "Bella,"

"Pretty name," She murmured. "It means beautiful."

"It's a fitting name for her." I assured her and continued with my story. "We were going to Dartmouth together. The summer after our senior year, I decided to ask her to marry me."

I heard Maggie gasp softly but I continued on with a little chuckle. "I had everything planned out. I had the ring and was going to take her to a secluded little meadow in the woods behind her house. I went to her house that day and found a note taped to her front door. It said that she was sorry, that it wasn't her choice, and that she will always love me."

I had to clear my throat again to keep my tears at bay. "I walked into the house and found it completely empty. They had packed up and left. I ran out to the river behind her house and threw the ring in the river."

"What happened next?" Maggie asked.

"I went to Dartmouth, hoping that she would show up somehow. She didn't."

Maggie shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Edward."

"I've never told anyone that I was going to ask her to marry me." I whispered. "I wanted it to be a surprise at the time and then after I didn't want anyone to pity me more than they already were."

"Did you ever see her again?" She asked me quietly.

I could feel a smile stretching over my face. "I did. She moved back to town a few weeks ago."

"Why did she leave?" She leaned forward, interested.

I leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees. "Her mom wasn't a very good person, always obsessed with her image and how her family appears to the public." I paused since this was about to hit a little too close to home for Maggie. "Bella was pregnant, Mags, and her mom blackmailed her to move with them to New York. She said she wouldn't support Bella or the baby if she told me about the baby. Bella, being the scared teenage girl that she was, didn't know how I was going to react so she went with her parents.

"She came back to town and told me everything and now I'm getting to know my son." I looked over to Maggie to see tears streaming down her face. "Why didn't you tell me, Mags?"

"I was a-sh-shamed!" she cried, throwing her hands over her face again.

I rose from my chair and sat on the edge of her bed before pulling her into my arms to comfort her. "Is that why you tried to hurt yourself?" She nodded, crying harder still. I hugged her tighter. "Mags, it's okay. Accidents happen. It's going to be okay."

She clutched my lab coat and sobbed into my shoulder. "I don't know what to do!"

"Have you told anyone? Your mom or . . . the father?" I asked her softly.

Maggie shook her head. "My mom would disown me and my boyfriend, Liam, would . . . would h-hate m-me!" she wailed.

"Mags, you need to tell them." I said. "Take it from me, no matter what he thinks now, he's going to be thankful he's knows about the baby. And your mom may be disappointed but she's not going to disown you."

I held Maggie close until her crying subsided. Once she stopped, I brushed her tears away with a smile. "You're going to be okay. I promise." I quickly hugged her tightly before rising from her bed. "I have to go, okay? You've got some thinking to do. I'm coming to see you tomorrow."

She nodded, sniffling and brushing her last few tears off her cheeks. "I'll see you tomorrow, Edward."

I nodded, brushing her hair away from her face before turning to leave the room.

"Hey, Edward?"

I turned back to her. "Yeah, Mags?"

"Thank you,"

I smiled. "You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

I made it to my parents' house only a few minutes late. I parked my car in the driveway behind Emmett's Jeep and hurried inside. Once across the threshold, I was immediately accosted by my sister.

"Are you going to tell them today? I can't stand keeping this from Jas anymore! I'm going to burst! It's been three weeks." she hissed, her hands firmly planted on her hips.

I sighed. "Ali I – "

"Tell us what, Edward?"

Simultaneously, Alice and I looked down the hall to see Mom standing there, apron in place and dishcloth in hand.

"I – uh," I stuttered, trying to think of something to say. Alice elbowed me hard in the ribs making me wince. "I'll tell you later, Mom. I have to tell everyone something and I'd rather say it once."

She gave me a concerned look. "Well, you can say whatever you need to say during dinner." She turned to go back into the kitchen.

While Mom finished with dinner, Jasper asked to speak with me and led me to a corner of the living room. "Did you talk to Maggie?" He asked me.

"I did," I nodded. He gave me a look, urging me to continue. "Look, Jas, I don't – "

"Ed, I just need to get a better idea of my patient so I can treat her properly. I won't tell her you told me anything." Jasper assured me.

I sighed in defeat. "She's terrified, Jas. She thinks her boyfriend is going to hate her and leave her alone with the baby. And she thinks her mother is going to disown her and throw her out. She felt trapped and alone. That's why she tried to commit suicide."

Jasper nodded. "That's what I thought," he murmured.

I was about to ask him what his plans were for the continuation if her treatment when Mom called us all to dinner.

"Edward," She said as we all sat around the huge dining room table. "Would you like to talk now?"

I looked around at the faces of my family staring back at me with interest. "Uh, it's kind of a long story and I don't want the food to get cold so how about after we eat?"

Mom nodded her assent and everyone dug in. I stayed mostly quiet throughout dinner, thinking of the best way to tell everyone about Matt.

"Edward?"

I looked up to see everyone looking at me impatiently. "Everyone is done eating," Mom said. "Why don't you get this off your chest, it seems to be troubling you."

"It's not troubling me," I shrugged. "I was just trying to figure out how to tell everyone."

I pushed my plate away and looked around at everyone before starting. "As you all know, Bella asked to meet me a few weeks ago to explain why she left."

"And did she?" Rose demanded leaning towards me across the table.

I gritted my teeth. "I'm getting there, Rosalie."

She huffed and sat back.

"Well, the reason the Swans left all those years ago was mainly because of Renee. She blackmailed Bella into moving with her and Charlie to New York City."

"Why was Renee blackmailing her?" Mom asked, concern evident in her tone.

I rose slightly from my chair to pull my wallet out of my pocket and pulled out the picture of Matt. I stood and walked around the table to hand the picture to Mom.

She looked at the picture for a few seconds before she gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh, Edward," She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.

"What? What's the picture of?" Emmett demanded.

Mom passed the picture to Dad wordlessly and brushed the tears off her cheeks. She stood quickly, almost knocking her chair backwards, and pulled me into a giant hug.

"Son," I released Mom and looked over to Dad. "Is – is this?" he stuttered.

I nodded with a sort of half smile. "It is."

Emmett crossed his arms over his chest and glared up at me. "What the hell is going on here? What's that picture and what the fuck happened to Bella?"

"Language, Emmett!"

"Sorry, Ma,"

I took the picture from Dad and looked down at it for a moment. "You remember how Renee was always obsessed with her image? Always concerned about how her family appeared to the rest of the world?"

"Yeah, so what?"

I sighed. "Well, Renee was concerned how the rest of the housewives of Forks would think of her if everyone found out that Bella was pregnant."

The room was silent for a minute – so silent in fact, that you could hear the TV in the living room playing Lilly's favorite movie – before Emmett spoke.

"What? Bella was pregnant? With your . . .?" He gulped.

I reached across the table and handed him the picture. "This Matthew Swan, my son."

There was absolute silence in the room until Emmett rose from his chair and walked around the table to stand right in front of Mom and I. "And you're happy about this, Ed?" he asked me, holding up the picture of Matt.

I nodded, my face stretching into a huge smile. "I am, Em. I'm so happy."

Emmett grinned his playful, boyish grin. "Then congratulations, bro." he pulled me into his massive bear hug.

I laughed as he released me. "Thanks, Em."

"Well, tell us about him!" Mom said excitedly, pushing me down in a seat next to my sister and perching on the arm rest of Dad's chair. "Have you met him?"

"I have," I laughed lightly at the giant smile on my mother's face. "He's six years old, his birthday is April 2nd. Bella raised him well. He's a really sweet kid. And very funny," I chuckled, remembering a joke Matt told me the other day. "He has Bella's sharp wit and caring personality."

"I'm so happy for you, sweetie," Mom said, her eyes still a little teary. "So, when can we meet him?"

I heard Rose huff, pick up her plate and stalk towards the kitchen.

* * *

**A/N:****************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**So much covered in this chapter!  
**

**Who is this "Katie"? What do you think of Maggie's situation and her friendship with Edward? What's up with Rose?  
**

**UP NEXT: W****e find out who this "Katie" is and **THE MEETING.  


**Thanks again!  
**

**- Nikki  
**


	9. Meeting the Family

**A/N: ****Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**  


**********Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

**********Uh, Hi! Remember me? Yeah, sorry about the little leave of absence. It was absolutely crazy adjusting to a new fall schedule!  
**

**********Anyways, on with the show!  
**

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Meeting the Family**

**BPOV**

Matt and I watched some TV with Angela while we waited for Edward to pick us up. My son sat there calmly, not a care or a worry in the world while he hummed along to the commercial jingle. Meanwhile, I was freaking the fuck out.

_My son is meeting his extended family for the first time in,_ I checked my watch,_ twenty minutes. _

As usual, my unreasonable brain was blowing everything _way_ out of proportion and ridiculous questions kept scrolling through my mind.

What if they reject him?

What if they think he's not a good kid?

What if they think Edward shouldn't be a part of his life? Would he listen?

What if they reject _me_?

I haven't seen the Cullens in seven years – except Alice, of course – without so much as a word since then, what will they think of me? I just hope that they receive me as well as Alice did. I couldn't stand it if I could face the disappointment on Esme's face.

The knock on the door startled me and I jumped up to answer it.

Edward stood on the other side looked perfect as usual in jeans and a green button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up that matched his eyes perfectly.

I glanced down at my jeans and navy polo shirt and grimaced. I didn't look nearly as good.

"You look beautiful,"

I looked back up at him and raised my eyebrow in incredulity.

"You do," he assured me. "You know I love that color on you," he winked before sidestepping me into the house.

So as not to traumatize my son or embarrass myself, I stood at the door for a few seconds, collecting myself so as not to jump Edward and kiss the hell out of him.

When I turned around, Matt was already up in Edward's arms yammering away about our trip to the mall yesterday since he hasn't seen Edward since Friday due to a long shift at the hospital.

"Ready to go, bud?" Edward asked him once he was finished with his story.

Matt nodded. "Yep," The two of them said goodbye to Angela and walked out the door.

Angela turned to give me a sympathetic look. "Good luck,"

I grabbed my purse with a small sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, thanks. I'm going to need it."

It took us about ten minutes to get to the Cullen Estate after Edward struggled to buckle Matt's car seat in the backseat of his Volvo.

There were three cars parked in the long U-shaped driveway in front of the huge white three-story mansion when we got there. Edward pulled up behind a huge forest green Jeep that I instantly recognized as Emmett's from high school.

"Ready?" he asked me quietly.

I sighed heavily. "As I'll ever be," I murmured as I opened my door.

I helped Matt out of his car seat and began the walk up the long stone path to the front door behind Edward. Matt pulled me forward and took Edward's hand so he was standing between both of his parents.

I looked up to see the curtains twitch back into place in the window beside the front door. A second later, the huge oak front door swung open and a frazzled Esme ran out to greet us. She looked older, obviously, but just as beautiful and supermodel-like as she did seven years ago.

To my utter surprise, she didn't run directly to her son or to the grandson she never knew, she ran to me. Esme paused about a foot in front of me and just looked at me. I waited for her to yell at me, to ignore me completely, or to even hit me, but to my disbelief she let out a choked sob and pulled me into a bone crushing hug.

"I th-thought-t you w-were . . ." She choked out.

I hugged her back tightly with my free arm and felt tears spring to my eyes too. I never realized until now how much I actually missed my surrogate mom.

"I'm so sorry, Esme." I whispered back. "I never meant to – "

Esme pulled away but held onto my shoulders. "Oh hush, sweetheart," she patted my cheek and smiled at me. "Alright, let me get a look at you." She stepped back while still holding my free hand and appraised me up and down. "You look fantastic, Bella."

"So do you, Esme. You don't look a day over thirty." I said with a grin.

Esme laughed. "Thank you, sweetheart." She looked down to see Matt looking up at the two of us. A small gasp escaping her, Esme knelt down in front of Matt with a watery smile. "Hi Matt, I'm Esme. I've heard a lot about you from your Dad."

Matt extended his hand for a shake just like I taught him. "Hi Esme, I'm Matthew Swan."

Esme chuckled in surprise and shook Matt's outstretched hand. "Such the little gentleman," she murmured. "Your Mom raised you well." Esme smiled up at me.

"My Mama's the best." Matt said adamantly with a nod.

Esme, Edward, and I laughed. Esme led the way inside the Cullen house as I clutched Matt's hand tighter in mine.

Matt grimaced. "Ouch, Mommy."

"Oh, sorry, baby." I loosened my hold on his hand.

Right inside the front door was the rest of the Cullen family. I guess we're jumping right into, then.

I was accosted immediately upon entry by Emmett, who looked like his muscles doubled in size since the last time I saw him, which I didn't think was possible. I yelped as giant arms surrounded me and lifted me nearly a foot off the floor, tearing my hand away from my son's.

"Belly!" Emmett's deep voice boomed.

I laughed in spite of my initial surprise. "Em, put me down!"

He laughed. "Belly, I just – Ouch!"

We both looked down to see Matt standing with his arms crossed tightly across his chest, fuming. "Hey!" he said angrily. "Don't hurt my Mama. She asked you to put her down."

Emmett chuckled in surprise and slowly set me back on my feet before kneeling down so he was face to face with Matt and giving him a goofy smile. "Don't worry, little man, I want hurting your mom. I was just really excited to see her."

"Hmph," Matt huffed before looking up at me. "Are you sure your okay, Mommy?"

I nodded. "I'm fine, sweets." I rested a hand on top of his thick, wavy hair. "This is Emmett. He looks big and scary but he's actually a big softy on the inside." I stage-whispered to him conspiratorially, making him giggle. Everyone else must have heard too since I heard quiet chuckles from the rest of the family.

"Hi, Emmett. Mama says you're a softy, but I'm still watching you." Matt said with narrowed eyes.

Emmett boomed out a laugh. "Alright, kid. I'll win you over."

Next I introduced Matt to Carlisle after giving him a hug as well.

While Carlisle was shaking Matt's hand, I looked behind him to see Alice vibrating in excitement next to a tall blonde man who I assumed to be her fiancé.

After her father was done greeting Matt, Alice ran over and scooped him up with a squeal. Matt laughed and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Hi, Auntie Alice."

"Matt, I missed you!" Alice laughed. "This is my fiancé, Jasper." She said pointing to the tall blonde man I'd seen earlier.

"What's a fee-an-sey?" Matt said slowly, making everyone laugh.

"It means they're going to get married, sweetie." I said coming up behind him, placing a hand on his back. I extended my hand to Jasper. "Hi, I'm Bella Swan."

Jasper smiled and shook my hand. "Jasper Whitlock, nice to meet ya." He said with a warm, liquid voice with a hint of a southern accent. "I've heard a lot about you."

I felt my cheeks go pink at the thought of people talking about me.

I looked around as several people engaged Matt in conversation for the one person I'd been hoping to see.

Rose.

She was nowhere to be found.

Esme quickly poked her head into the dining room before announcing, "Lunch is ready!"

We all filed into the dining room and took our usual seats. Now, next to my normal chair, was a smaller chair for Matt. I pulled the seat out for him and helped him get situated and placed the napkin on his lap before turning to Esme who was bringing in a covered dish. "Can I help you with anything, Esme?"

"Oh no, dear, just sit down and relax." She set the dish down in the middle of the table. "Rose and I have it covered."

Rose? She's here?

After Esme carried in a few more dishes, both Esme and Rose came out carrying a bowl of mashed potatoes and a platter of turkey. Rose looked just as beautiful as she did seven years ago. Tall, statuesque and blonde, Rose didn't spare me a glace as she set the turkey in front of Carlisle and took her place next to Emmett.

I sighed. Why is she mad at me? Everyone else seems to have forgiven me, what's her problem?

Then I got a little mad. Who is _she_ to be mad at _me_? The only person who has the right to be mad is Edward – maybe Esme and Carlisle – but he forgave me without question.

We settled into our meal and everyone was very welcoming to Matt and I.

Well, except for Rose.

Everyone asked Matt questions about himself. What he likes, what he doesn't like . . . They also asked me what I've been up to. Where did I end up going to school, what I do for work . . .

The last one to finish, Esme sighed as she set down her fork. "Bella, it's so great to have you back, darling."

"It's just like old times," Carlisle smiled warmly as he took a sip of his Vodka Tonic.

Esme reached across the table to pat my hand. "We're so happy to have the family back together, dear."

"Excuse me," Rose stood up abruptly and hurried out of the room towards the back porch.

Emmett rose to follow her but I stood up quickly. "No, please, let me." I said as I turned and followed Rose out to the back porch.

When I got outside, Rose was sitting on the porch swing, staring down at her feet as she swung.

"You know, it's rude to leave an un-cleared table, RoRo. You taught me that." I said with a smirk, crossing my arms and leaning against the pillar of the porch by the swing.

Rose ducked her head and failed to hide a small grin. "Shut it, BeeBee, this was exigent circumstances."

I pushed myself off the pillar and sat down on the swing beside her. "What's up, RoRo?"

She was silent for a minute. "Why didn't you tell me, BeeBee? After all that we've been through? After how you helped me?" she asked quietly, not meeting my eyes.

I sighed and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "I was absolutely terrified. In retrospect, I should have never told my parents before I told Edward. That would have saved everyone a whole lot of grief." I sighed. "I was young, naïve, and didn't have the sense to tell my friends first like you did." I glanced up at her to see her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry, RoRo."

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so stand-offish with you. You were there for me when I found out I was pregnant and when I miscarried, when I needed you the most." She took my hand in hers and squeezed. "Thank you,"

I threw my arms around her and hugged her tightly. "We're okay, then?" I asked her.

She nodded brushing the unshed tears out of the corner of her eyes. "Yeah, BeeBee, we're good." She looked at the back door and smiled. "You really do have a cute kid there, Bee. Looks exactly like Ed, like everyone says."

"Yeah, he's pretty great." I laughed. I stood and held my hand out towards her, pulling her to her feet. "Let's go back inside, shall we?"

Rose and I headed back inside, arm in arm, to see Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme congregated in the front hall. They parted when they heard the back door close behind us. Standing by the door, purse still in hand, was a tall blonde woman, almost as gorgeous as Rose.

Almost, but not quite.

"Is everything good now?" Esme asked Rose and I.

Rose nodded. "Everything's good. We're fine," she said, throwing her arm around my waist and squeezing me tight.

There was a small awkward silence before Esme spoke up. "Oh excuse my manners!" she exclaimed, throwing her hand on the shoulder of the blonde. "Bella, this is Katherine Denali, an OB/GYN over at the hospital with Carlisle and Edward. Katie, this is Isabella Swan, a long-lost member of the family who just moved back to town."

Katie? Holy Fuckers.

Edward's girlfriend is here?

* * *

**A/N: ************************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**UH OH! Finally meeting Katie but at a horrible time!  
**

**What do we all think? How's the rest of the lunch going to go? Did Edward invite Katie there? Is she going to be a complete bitch? or a sweetheart?  
**

**Ill try not to let so much time pass between chapters anymore but I do have a pretty busy fall so I don't know if that will be possible.  
**

**UP NEXT: We find out exactly who Katie is and who she is to Edward and possibly a new development between Bella and Edward? Hmm, time will tell.  
**

**Thanks again!  
**

**- Nikki  
**


	10. Katie

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

**A little short this chapter. But, it's the chapter you've all been waiting for! Enjoy.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Katie**

**BPOV**

_There was a small awkward silence before Esme spoke up. "Oh excuse my manners!" she exclaimed, throwing her hand on the shoulder of the blonde. "Bella, this is Katherine Denali, an OB/GYN over at the hospital with Carlisle and Edward. Katie, this is Isabella Swan, a long-lost member of the family who just moved back to town."_

_Katie? Holy Fuckers. _

_Edward's girlfriend is here?_

"Bella," Katie crossed the room to stand in front of me, her hand extended. "I've heard a lot about you."

I couldn't tell if they were good things or bad things so I continued to regard her with scrutiny as I shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Katie." I dropped her hand and smiled uneasily. "I've heard almost nothing about you." I replied awkwardly.

Everyone chuckled.

Just then Edward jogged into the room, grinning, with a laughing Matt perched on his shoulders.

"Put me down, Daddy!" Matt said through belly-clenching giggles, holding tightly to Edward's hair.

I saw Esme out of the corner of my eye, smile and walk back in to the kitchen as the oven timer went off.

"Never, bud." Edward said, holding tightly to Matt's knees as he skidded to a halt next to me. He smiled down at me before turning and finally seeing Katie next to me. His eyes widened as he looked down at her. "Katie, what are you doing here?" he said in surprise.

"I needed to drop off some files for your dad, Ed. Then Esme invited me to stay for lunch." She said with a smile.

Matt patted Edward's head, causing Edward to look up at him. "Daddy, who is this lady?" Matt whispered loudly, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"You must be Matt," said Katie, looking up at my son, still perched on Edward's shoulders. "I'm Katie, I'm a doctor at the hospital like your dad." She smiled up at him kindly. "You know, your dad talks about you _all_ the time," she whispered loudly.

Matt giggled.

Esme poked her head out of the kitchen. "Dessert is ready," she announced. "Who wants coffee or tea?"

After she did a head count, people started filing into the living room. Edward finally slipped Matt off his shoulders and continued to hold him in his arms, as if he didn't want to let him go.

I ducked into the kitchen in an effort to help Esme. She allowed me to carry the tray of mugs, plates, and silverware into the living room but only after a friendly argument.

I set the tray down on the coffee table and looked around for a seat, preferably next to Edward.

However, Edward was sitting in the corner of one of the couches with _Katie_ sitting right next to him and practically in his fucking _lap_! That wasn't even the worst of it. No, the worst of it was that she was all shits and giggles with my son. My son.

Jealousy reared inside of me. I knew in my mind that it was completely irrational but I couldn't help it. Seeing her so close to him, close enough for an outsider to assume that she could be his girlfriend, absolutely killed me. I knew I had no right to think that. After all, I was the one who ended it between us.

Since there were no more seats available, I sat on the floor by the coffee table, leaning back against the end of the couch.

Esme arrived with the coffee, tea kettle, and pie and we all began our dessert.

There was a quiet murmur around the room as everyone divided up into their own side conversations. However, being in a sort of awkward place in the room, I just ate my cake.

I looked up when I heard the most annoying giggle in the world. Katie had her head thrown back, laughing at something Edward had said. She was practically in his lap again and he had his arm around her on the back of the couch, smiling at her laughter. When she leaned up and kissed his cheek, I had enough.

I stood up abruptly, just like Rose had done earlier and grabbed my cup of tea. "Excuse me," I said softly. Just before I escaped to the back porch, I saw that everyone had stopped talking and were staring at me.

Sitting down on the porch swing with my cup of tea, I looked out across the expansive back gardens of the Cullen's estate. I remember playing in the gardens as an adolescent. Alice wouldn't play hide and seek with me, she would much rather play makeover or go shopping. Hide and seek was a little juvenile but it was still my favorite game.

Esme keeps meticulous care of the winding paths in the garden, shaded by trees and tall bushes on either side. Edward and I would play hide and seek or take long walks just talking about life until it was dark, or at least until Esme called us in for dinner.

I had so many important moments out there in the garden. When I was fourteen, I got lost during a game of hide and seek. I was lost out in the garden for nearly two hours until Edward found me. He wrapped his arms around me and led me back to the house where Esme was waiting with blankets and hot cocoa.

One of my absolute favorite memories of the garden is of when Edward and I were sixteen. We weren't dating yet, we were in that awkward stage between friends and more than friends. We were holding hands as we walked along a path and into the woods. We happened along a clearing and Edward convinced me to stop and take a break. We were laying in the middle of the clearing watching the sky darken when Edward suddenly sat up, leaned over me and pressed a kiss to my lips.

I smiled at the memory as I finished the last of my tea. That was the beginning of our relationship, Edward asked me on a date once we arrived back at the house.

The back door slammed shut and I felt someone sit down beside me.

"Are you alright, Bell?"

I looked up to see curious green eyes peering down at me. I nodded and set my tea cup on the table by the swing. "I'm fine. I just needed some air."

"We both know that's a lie." He said quietly. "Tell me what's actually bothering you."

I shook my head slowly and broke eye contact. "It's nothing."

Edward gently tiled my head back up to look into my eyes. "When I first saw you in that hospital cafeteria a month ago, my first thought was _great, now we can get back together_. Well, actually my first thought was how beautiful you looked, my second thought was now we can get back together." He chuckled.

"But, what about –"

He placed a finger over my lips. "Please let me finish." I nodded and he removed his finger. "After I met Matt last month, I decided not to pursue you,"

My stomach dropped to my toes. He didn't want me?

"I thought it would be too hard to restart our relationship while build a relationship with him. But then I decided that I didn't care how hard it is. I need to be with you as much as I need to be with Matt."

I could feel my heart start beating wildly at his words but there was still one thing to be cleared up. "But what about Katie?"

Edward's brow furrowed. "What about her?"

"Aren't you two together?" I asked quietly, not looking at him.

There was silence for a few seconds until I heard Edward . . . laughing. "Oh, Bella," He tilted my face back up to meet his eyes. "Katie and I are _not_ together. My dad introduced us when I started at the hospital. Since I plan on working in a field related to hers, he thought we should know each other better. She's kind of like my mentor, Bella. And one of my best friends."

Well now I feel like an idiot.

I felt my cheeks get hot. "Oh,"

Edward cupped my cheek with his hand and brought our faces closer together. "I only have eyes for you, Bella. Always have, always will."

I held my breath as he inched closer. When his lips were mere millimeters from mine, he chuckled and whispered, "Breathe, Bella," before crushing his lips to mine.

* * *

******A/N:****************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

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**UP NEXT: Bella and Edward have a little chat plus more family time.  
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******- Nikki**  



	11. Doesn't Alice always win?

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

******Sorry, everyone! Busy, busy fall!  
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**Another short one, but we get answers from Katie! enjoy.  
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* * *

**Chapter 11 – Doesn't Alice always win?**

**BPOV**

_Edward cupped my cheek with his hand and brought our faces closer together. "I only have eyes for you, Bella. Always have, always will."_

_I held my breath as he inched closer. When his lips were mere millimeters from mine, he chuckled and whispered, "Breathe, Bella," before crushing his lips to mine. _

I was instantly brought back to that day in the clearing when I was sixteen. My first kiss, the sloppy, slightly uncomfortable kiss of two inexperience sixteen year olds.

This was nothing like that.

Of course Edward became more experienced during our two years together. The eighteen year old Edward's kiss was still the best I've ever had, including the few guys I dated briefly in New York.

But this was something else.

This was _"I've missed you, I need you, I want you,"_ Passionate, gentle, loving.

I cupped the back of Edward's neck as he broke our kiss and rested his forehead against mine. We looked into each other's eyes as little smiles touched our lips.

"I've missed you, Bell." He whispered hoarsely.

I shifted to wrap my arms around his neck and hug him closer. "I've missed you too, Edward, so much. There were days when I had a bad class, when my professor was giving me crap, when my mom was driving me crazy, or when Matt was acting out that I just wanted to pick up the phone and call you even though I thought you hated me." I played with the small hairs at the base of his skull as my nose nudged his. "Because you always knew what to say to make me feel better, you still do."

One of Edward's arms wrapped my waist, tugging me closer, while his free hand knotted in my hair. "I'm never letting you go again, Bella. You and Matt are my life now."

I inched closer and softly pressed my lips to his.

Once we finally disentangled ourselves from each other, we stood from the porch swing and walked hand-in-hand back inside. Everyone looked up at us as we paused in the doorway to the living room. The room erupted in sound.

"Damn it!"

"Yes, I win!"

"Shit!"

"I knew it!"

"Hey!" I called and the room fell silent. "What's going on here?"

Emmett crossed his arms over his chest. "We all owe Alice twenty bucks, that's what's going on here." He grumbled.

"What?" Edward asked, astonished.

"We all took bets on when you guys would get back together, Alice won. She said today, family brunch." Jasper said with a smirk.

"I think I'm slightly offended." I murmured.

Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, and even Katie stood and handed Alice a twenty dollar bill. Alice giggled and eagerly counted her new windfall. "Thanks guys," she sang. "Now I can buy that purse I had my eye on!"

I rolled my eyes. "Does anyone need anything from the kitchen?" I asked.

Everyone shook their heads. I squeezed Edward's hand one last time before dropping it and walking back into the kitchen.

I opened the cabinet above the dishwasher for a glass. Reaching for the filtered water pitcher, I heard someone else walk into the kitchen.

"Bella?" I turned to see Katie standing just inside the doorway. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

I now knew that she wasn't Edward's girlfriend, but I was still weary of her. I didn't know if _she_ wanted to be. "Sure," I nodded.

She walked over and grabbed her own glass and filled it with water. "I'd like to apologize."

"Apologize?" I asked. "What for?"

Katie smiled softly and took a sip of her water. "For not explaining myself sooner."

I raised my eyebrow at her, asking her to continue.

"Well, believe me when I say that I'm definitely not interested in Edward." She chuckled. "Believe me! He's like my little brother. I'm a really touchy-feely person and I'm sorry if I confused you with my behavior with Edward before."

I took a sip of water, stalling so I could think of what to say. "Uhm, that's okay, Katie. Edward and I talked it out and were okay now."

Katie smiled. "Good. You know, I've listened to Edward talk about you for years and I've always thought you sounded like a nice girl. And now that I've met you, I hope we can put this behind us and become friends."

Still taken aback, I nodded. "Uh, yeah. Sure, I'd like that."

"Good, we should have lunch sometime," She finished her glass and looked at her watch. "Shoot. I should get home to Irina. She wanted to try out a new recipe tonight."

"Irina?" I asked.

"My partner," she smiled. "We've been together for five years."

My eyes must have nearly fallen out of my head. Katie is gay? Well, that's an interesting development.

I guess she really isn't interested in Edward. At all.

I think Katie and I will be alright.

Awhile later, after Katie left and some fairly innocent touches from Edward sitting beside me on the couch, Matt started leaning against me. I looked down to see his eyes nearly closed.

"Alright, bed time." I announced.

Edward, Matt, and I were kissed and hugged goodbye by the family as we made our way out to the car, a sleepy Matt cradled in Edward's arms.

We finally got Matt buckled in his booster seat, after insisted promises from Esme and Rose to see each other soon, and were on our way back to my house. Edward held my hand the entire way home.

Angela had already left for her shift at the hospital by the time we got home so all of the windows were dark as we pulled into the driveway. Matt continued to sleep peacefully as Edward lifted him out of the backseat of the car and followed me up the front path to the door. I led the way up the stairs to Matt's room and watched from the doorway as Edward put him in bed and tucked him in.

Edward and I silently made our way back down the stairs to the kitchen, flipping on lights on the way. I grabbed us two beers from the fridge before following Edward to the living room. He grabbed my free hand when I tried to sit at the other end of the couch and pulled me down next to him, practically on his lap. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. I rested my head on his shoulder and took a sip from my bottle.

"It was really good to see everyone again." I said quietly. "I think I missed them more than I thought."

"I know we all missed you so much, Bells." he murmured.

I leaned up and pressed a soft kiss the side of his neck. "I'm sorry," I whispered against his skin.

He leaned over and set both of our beers on the coffee table before gently grabbing my knees and swinging my legs around so I was sitting sideways across his lap. "I know, sweetheart, and we all forgave you."

I nestled my head against his shoulder, reveling in the closeness, and looked up at him. "You really want to do this? Be together? Build up this relationship again while you build a relationship with Matt?"

"Absolutely," he answered without hesitation. "Bella, I can't keep pretending I can live without you."

"Good," I answered simply and snuggled deeper into his chest.

Not five minutes later, were both fast asleep, snuggled deep in each other's embrace.

* * *

******A/N:****************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**Soooo . . . Katie's a lesbian! No threat there! Any thoughts out there...?  
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**UP NEXT: Edward and Bella tell Matt about their new relationship. Plus Edward and Matt's first solo outing! How's that going to go?  
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**Thanks again!  
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******- Nikki**  



	12. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

**A/N: ********Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just borrow the characters. I promise to give them back. :)**

******Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed my story. Your encouragements mean a lot!**

**HOLY CRAP! so sorry for the delay! I feel like such a hypocrite since it's one of my pet peeves when authors take forever to update! SORRY! It's been the busiest fall EVER!  
**

**Enough excuses! On with the tale.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!**

**EPOV**

I smiled as I heard small running footsteps on the other side of the door before it was wrenched open and an ecstatic Matt stood in the doorway.

"Hey, bud," I swooped down and pulled him into my arms. "Ready for the zoo today?" I carried him into the house and saw Bella packing something into a small backpack.

Matt nodded emphatically. "I love the zoo! We went to that really big one all the time. What's it called again, Mommy?" he asked Bella.

"The Bronx Zoo, sweetie." Bella laughed as she zipped the backpack shut.

"Yeah, that one, Daddy."

I chuckled and tickled his stomach. "Well, this zoo isn't as big the Bronx Zoo, but we'll still have fun." I pressed a kiss to his temple and set him on his feet. "Go get your shoes and we'll be on our way."

Matt ran up stairs and I took the opportunity to give Bella a proper greeting by pulling her into my arms and planting a hard kiss to her lips. We decided to hide our relationship from Matt until we could talk to him about it.

"It's been two weeks," Bella panted once we broke apart. "When you get back later, were talking to him about us. I can't hide it anymore." She rested her hand against my cheek.

"Plan on it, love," I murmured. "I can't stand not kissing you when I want to anymore."

She smiled, pecked my lips one last time before pulling away as Matt ran back down the stairs.

"I'm ready, Daddy!" he called, skidding to a stop in front of me.

Bella slipped the small backpack on Matt's shoulders and bent down so she was eye to eye with him, turning him to face her. "Promise to be good for Daddy, alright? Do good listening and have fun."

Matt nodded. "Okay,"

She pressed a kiss to his forehead and gave him a quick hug before letting him go.

Matt took my hand as Bella followed behind us to the door. She stood in the doorway as I buckled Matt in and waved as we drove out of the driveway and down the street.

"What's your favorite animal at the zoo, Matt?" I asked him, glancing in my rearview mirror.

"The tigers," he said immediately. "The white tigers," he amended.

I smiled, remembering my years at the zoo with my parents. "Me too. Should we go there first?"

Matt nodded excitedly.

My pager beeped and I took a quick glance down at the screen. It was the hospital. I groaned and dialed the number that flashed on the pager screen.

"Hold on for a second, bud," I said to Matt as I waited for someone to pick up.

The nurse that answered said there was a quick clerical problem that could be easily rectified in a few minutes. I sighed resignedly and said I'd be right there.

"Matt," I said to get his attention. "I have to make a quick stop at the hospital for a few minutes. I'm sorry, bud. Then we'll be on the road to the zoo."

Matt nodded. "Okay, Daddy,"

I turned the car around and drove to the hospital. I parked in the short term lot and helped Matt out of his booster seat. We started walking towards the entrance when Matt slipped his hand into my and squeezed. I smiled and squeezed back.

I made sure Matt stayed close to me as we took the elevator to the nurses' station on the second floor. The nurse that was there – Molly, I think her name was – smiled flirtatiously and handed me two charts that I apparently forgot to complete.

I picked Matt up and sat him on the tall counter, so I wouldn't lose him, and pressed a kiss to his temple before finishing the charts.

"Who's this little guy?" The nurse, Molly, squealed in a high pitched voice that I assumed was supposed to be cute.

"This is my son Matt." I replied, patting his knee.

She looked taken aback. "I didn't know you were married." She said bluntly.

I glanced up at her to see her still looking at me. "I'm not," I sighed as I attempted to get back to charting.

Matt giggled. "Daddy's taking me to the zoo!"

"Well, you have such a great daddy!" Nurse Molly purred suggestively, reaching out to rub my arm.

I slid myself and the chart down the counter and out of her reach. She seemed to take the hint and huffed before getting back to work.

With a final sigh, I signed the last chart and stacked them at the end of the counter to be processed. I turned to Matt who was swinging his legs to the song he was humming. "Ready to go, bud?"

He nodded and I lifted him off the counter and took his hand.

When we arrived at the elevator, Matt let go of my hand to run forward and push the call button. I laughed at his exuberance.

"Dr. Cullen! Edward!"

I looked around to see Maggie in a hospital wheelchair being pushed towards us by her boyfriend Liam. She was dressed in street clothes and carrying a large tote bag on her lap.

"Hey, Mags," I called as they drew closer. "You're finally getting out of here?"

She nodded, frowning. "Yeah, but they're still making me use this ridiculous wheelchair."

I laughed. "Just hospital policy."

Liam greeted me with a friendly handshake when they stopped next to us.

"Daddy," I looked down to see Matt pulling on my pant leg. "Who are you talking to?"

I ducked down and picked him up under the arms before settling him on my hip. "These are my friends, Maggie and Liam."

Maggie squealed and clapped her hands excitedly, looking eerily like Alice. "Is this Matt?" When I nodded, she stood slowly – Liam scrambled around to help her but she stopped him with a pointed look – and crossed to stand in front of us. "Nice to meet you, Matt." She grinned before leaning towards him. "Your Daddy talks about you all the time!" she whispered loud enough for us all to hear and winked.

Matt giggled.

The four of us rode the elevator down to the elevator together to lobby and walked out the automatic doors and out into the parking lot. We stopped by Liam's car and Maggie stood from the wheelchair. As Liam returned the wheelchair to the lobby, I pulled Maggie into a hug.

"Take care of yourself, Mags," I said.

She squeezed me tightly before releasing me. "I will, Edward."

"Do have a pen and paper in that obnoxiously large bag of yours?" I asked her when I patted my pockets and came up with none.

She nodded and pulled out a small notepad and a pencil. I quickly wrote down my pager and cell phone number before handing it back to her. "Here's my pager number and cell number. If you need anything, call me. And you know I'll come running."

She smiled and rested her hand on the little bump that recently appeared on her lower abdomen. "Thanks. I think we'll be okay."

I chuckled and picked Matt up and settled him on my hip again. "When you go into labor, you better tell whichever doctor is in the ER that to page me immediately."

"I definitely will." She laughed.

I smiled back, just happy to see her smiling again.

Liam returned and I said a final goodbye to the two of them. "Take good care of my Mags," I said to Liam as I shook his hand.

"I will, Dr. Cullen,"

Maggie pulled me in for a final, one-armed hug squeezing me almost too tight. "Thank you, Edward." She whispered. "For everything,"

"Bye, Mags," I let her go and started to carry Matt back to my car. I turned back to Liam and Maggie. "I'm serious, Margret!" I yelled. "Page me when that baby is born!"

I heard her laugh across the parking lot. "I will!"

I buckled Mat back in his booster seat and we were finally on our way to the zoo.

(...MLS...)

"Daddy, look!"

I laughed. Every time we reached a new exhibit, Matt excitedly pulled on the leg of my jeans, pointed to the animals on the other side of the fence and yells, "Daddy, look!"

"I see the giraffes, Matt."

He rushed forward to stand as close to the fence as possible. "They're so much bigger than in the pictures in my safari book!"

I swung him up in my arms, grinning as giggled, and lifted him onto my shoulders so he could get a better view. He was clutching my neck and hair tightly but I couldn't find it in myself to care. I was having fun with my son.

After Matt got his fill of the giraffes it was time for the last exhibit, the tigers. I took Matt's hand and led him down a dirt path to the false wood and Plexiglas enclosure. As it loomed closer and the sleeping tigers became visible, Matt gasped. "Daddy!" he tugged on my hand and tried to pull me down the path. "The tigers!"

I chuckled and walked faster to keep up with him.

There was a crowd in front of the enclosure. Kids' faces were pressed against the glass as their parents stood back a little. Matt and I moved down the path a few feet where there was less of a crowd to get a better view of the big cats.

Matt tugged his hand from mine. I didn't think anything of it until I looked down a second later. I glanced around. I couldn't see Matt.

My heart froze in my chest and dropped down to my toes.

"Matt?" I called. When he didn't appear in front of me and didn't answer back, panic started to set in.

I ran down the path and as the crowd thinned, my panic increased. "Matt?"

I stopped short and breathed a sigh of relief as I saw him walking down the path a few feet ahead, following the tiger on the other side of the glass.

"Matt!" I cried in relief and ran to catch up with him.

He turned as he heard his name and smiled. "Hi, Daddy! Look I'm following the tiger!" he pointed up at the big cat in the enclosure.

I crouched in front of him and pulled him into my arms, crushing him to me as my heart tried to slow back down. I pressed a hard kiss to his forehead and then his temple but didn't let him out of my arms. "Bud, you scared the fu – you scared me, Matt! You walked away without telling me. When I couldn't find you, I got really scared, bud."

His eyes widened and filled with tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I just wanted to see the tiger."

I kissed his forehead again. "I know, bud. How about we go get a snack and get back home to Mommy?"

Matt nodded. "Can we go to the gift shop?" he grinned mischievously.

I sighed, knowing I couldn't deny him anything. "Sure, bud,"

(...MLS...)

I pushed Bella's door open and Matt ran inside ahead of me, clutching the gift shop bag tightly in his hand. "We're home, Mommy!"

Bella emerged, grinning, from the kitchen looking gorgeous as usual. But there was something different about her. Her hair was shinier, her skin almost glowed and she seemed much more relaxed.

"Hi, baby boy!" She crouched down and Matt flew into her outstretched arms. "Did you have fun? Did you do good listening?" the second question was directed more towards me as she glanced up in my direction and smiled.

"I had so much fun with Daddy, Mommy! We had to stop at the hospital 'cause Daddy had to write something in a big binder and I met his friends Maggie and Liam. Maggie was leaving the hospital but she's okay now. Then we went to the zoo and saw so many animals! The giraffes were really big and the gorillas were kinda scary. But then we saw the tigers! They were so cool! But I walked away to follow the big tiger and I scared Daddy 'cause he couldn't find me. Then we got ice cream and Daddy bought me a stuffed tiger."

Bella looked a little shell shocked as Matt spewed out our entire day in one breath. "Okay . . ." she said slowly. "Well, I'm glad you had fun."

Matt ran upstairs to put his new stuffed tiger on his bed and Bella came over to greet me. She kissed me sweetly and cupped my cheek. "Did you have fun?" she asked me with a smirk.

I chuckled and kissed her forehead before tucking her under my chin where she fit perfectly. "I did, actually. Well, except when I thought I lost him for a few seconds. It felt like my heart stopped, Bella. I was on the brink of a full-on panic attack."

She pressed a soft kiss to my chest. "I know how you felt, baby. He wandered away from me at the grocery store once."

I pulled her to sit on my lap on the couch and just held her in my arms for a few minutes. I missed her today.

After a few minutes she spoke. "Should we talk to Matt now? About us?"

"Yeah, we should." I agreed as Bella moved off my lap.

We both called Matt down and heard him running down the stairs a few seconds later. He ran into the living room and threw himself in the space between Bella and me on the couch.

"Listen, buddy," Bella began, pulling him onto her lap and turning so that they both faced me on the couch. "Daddy and I have something to talk to you about."

I slid forward so I was sitting right next to them. "You know that I love you and Mommy very much, right Matt?"

He nodded. "I love you too, Daddy." He answered simply.

Bella was grinning madly behind him.

She took over. "You remember how Daddy and I used to date in high school? Well, since we live close by now, Daddy and I want to start dating again." She paused. "Is that okay with you, sweetie?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, that's okay." He smiled at the two of us. "Mommy, Daddy should live with us. Can he move here?"

I smirked as Bella stifled a laugh. "Not today, Matt."

* * *

**A/N:****************************Thanks SO much for reading! PLEASE leave me a review let me know what you think! Love it? Hate it? Just okay?**

**Phew! Busy day for father and son!  
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**What do you all think about Edward's relationship with Matt? with Maggie? with Bella?  
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**UP NEXT: Bella bonds with the girls and maybe a second first date?  
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**I will try to keep updates not so far apart in the future. My life _may_ be slowing down, but I really can't say.  
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**Thanks again!  
**

**- Nikki  
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